


Masquerade dance

by TalesOfTale



Category: Just Roll With It (Podcast)
Genre: A Pinch of Angst, Backstory spoilers, Character inspo from Mai's drawings, Did I say Fluff and Pining? Because, Fluff, Kingswharf is now the kind-of modern King's Wharf, M/M, Modern au but with canon elements, Mutual Pining, This is to quench yalls Br'aaxi thirst, and you will not escape the pining, but loads of fluff, contains spoilers, follows some canonical events, nothing nsfw, slowburn, some spoilers for season 2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:48:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23098102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TalesOfTale/pseuds/TalesOfTale
Summary: After Br'aad makes a heat-of-the-moment lie, he has to ask a stranger to act like his boyfriend. Taxi would definetely have said no, but he could really use a guide from someone who knows this place. A deal is made.The hard thing is knowing where it ends.“I accidentally told my friends over there,” he nodded smoothly to a table behind him, where two guys were talking, one having a dog in his lap that looked all but healthy. "That I got a boyfriend during my exchange year-""No." Taxi could see where this was going, and wanted to nip this conversation in the bud. He didn't have time to fool around, having only gone to Kingswharf to find his girlfriend. Honestly, he was glad Vel was with him, because he had just arrived and had no idea how to actually find Oriana on his own- Oh. He had an idea.
Relationships: Br'aad Vengolor/Taxi
Comments: 43
Kudos: 116





	1. Sunflower Impulses

**Author's Note:**

> We love two dumbasses, I don't make the rules sorry
> 
> (except I do now >:D)

The Voyager was a sea-themed Cafe in the middle of the mall. It was calm, and Taxi was enjoying a nice coffee with his friend before setting off. 

“...and the wench said-” Taxi holds up his hands dramatically, about to tell his friend the punch-line of his joke, but reels backwards as a flamboyant man plops down between them with a small crash. “-Jesus christ!” Flinching from the surprise, Taxi almost spills out his tea over Velrissa, who only raises an eyebrow at the new appearance.

He laughs. “No, no, don’t mind me, continue please.” Giving the young man a quick look-over, he has long, blonde hair and colorful clothes, seeming to almost vibrate with energy even as he just sits in his place. After a moment of confused silence and stares, the man gives a sigh and continues like they were in a completely normal situation.  
“Or, don’t, I guess. Either way, I would like to ask for a favor, if you could help me. This may sound weird, but hear me out!” If a flamboyant stranger called something weird, Taxi was pretty sure he wanted no part in it. “I accidentally told my friends over there,” he nodded smoothly to a table behind him, where two guys were talking, one having a dog in his lap that looked all but healthy. "That I got a boyfriend during my exchange year-" 

"No." Taxi could see where this was going, and wanted to nip this conversation in the bud. He didn't have time to fool around, having only gone to Kingswharf to find his girlfriend. Honestly, he was glad Vel was with him, because he had just arrived and had no idea how to actually find Oriana on his own- Oh. He had an idea. 

"Err, wait. Do you know your way around here…? I, uh, actually need help finding somebody." 

The man picked up his hand without warning, and shook it vigorously. "I do, I do! It seems like we have ourselves a deal, my friend…?" he trailed off in a silent question. 

Taxi sighed. _Oh, what am I doing?_ "Taxi." 

"Great!" Then, suddenly, he was being dragged towards the table by his arm. 

"Hold on, hold on, what's _your_ name?" Taxi hissed under his breath, but couldn't get an answer before they reached the table. Taxi tries to gesture to his friend to help him. Velrissa, who had been watching the conversation with disinterest, took another sip of her water and ultimately remained in her seat as her friend was taken away. 

The two of them were playing some kind of card game and looked to be in their own bubble before the small dog barked and announced their arrival. It was a gross sound, and dark flem fell on the floor as the barking turned into coughing. Taxi already regretted his decision. 

It was too late to leave, though. "Hey guys! What a total coincidence, Saxi was sitting right over there," the blond guy said, waving around his arms. _Saxi? For real, did he not even hear what I said?_

The shorter of the two was the first one to react, letting out a rumbling laugh and skeptically letting his gaze travel him up and down, especially sticking to the cat-ear diadem planted in his hair. 

" _This_ is the guy you were talking about? He seems like a pussy." Taxi felt his face heat up at the comment. Okay, so he liked cats, sue him. 

The other guy intervened before Taxi could say anything. "Mountain, be a bit respectful please," he scolded, then turned to Taxi. "Sorry about that, what he means to say is that we were truthfully not fully believing that Br'aad had a boyfriend." He sent an apologetic look towards the one apparently named Br'aad, who looked way too smug for someone who was faking a whole relationship. God. 

The guy, what did they call him, Mountain( ~~ironically~~ )? Mountain crossed his arms. 

"Does this boyfriend have a name?" he grumbled. 

Taxi took a deep breath and let his shoulders relax before putting out a hand. 

"I think we started off the wrong foot. The names Taxi, put it there." An awkward second passed, and after Mountain started openly laughing at him, the decent guy took his hand instead. 

"It's nice too meet you, I'm Sylnan, Br'aad's brother." He looked thoughtful. "Hm, wait a second. Br'aad called you Saxi, didn't he?" 

The cogs turning in Br'aad's head were almost visible. " _Yes…"_ he began, then looked at Taxi pleadingly. Taxi took over before he had the time to come up with some far fetched lie. 

" _Yes_ , it's, uh, a thing we have. He calls me Saxi, and I call him… Bradley." 

"Shit, you even have nicknames for each other and stuff?" Both Sylnan and Mountain looked a bit taken aback. 

Br'aad slowly gave a stiff nod. " _Exactly."_

Sylnan gave a couple of pats to Taxi's back. 

"Well then, buddy, how about you sit down and join us? We were just wrapping up our last game of cards, and I would love to get to know you. " 

_Patience is a virtue,_ Taxi told himself. _You'll find her much more easily with someone's help._

"Could I invite my friend, too?" he asked. 

Sylnan nodded. "Of course." 

He sent Br'aad a look. "Alright, a couple of games wouldn't hurt." 

That is how Taxi ended up spending his whole evening playing card games that steadily got more competitive until the sound level had risen significantly in the room, and all of them were constantly on the edge of their seats. Not much general conversation was made, but the group relaxed slightly after each round. Velrissa had not been too keen to join, and was still pretty stoic, but even Mountain warmed up after a while. Taxi surprised himself after a string of curses flew out of his mouth as a Snicker-bar flew into his face at his loss. _I guess it's not completely wasted time_. All in all, he had a good time. Maybe Taxi had sitten very close to Br'aad to be convincing, and when at some point Taxi had draped a hand around around his shoulders, he felt the warmth radiating underneath. Maybe, just maybe, Taxi had to stuff one of the Snickers in his mouth when he saw how Br'aad could light up a room with his witty jokes and bright personality, to stop a little purring from slipping out. That was none of their business, now was it?

After a string of games, jokes, and laughs Velrissa stood up. 

"I don't mean to put an end to this, it has admittedly been a lot of fun, but I'm I afraid I have to be getting home," she announced, getting a few sympathetic grunts from around the table. 

"Then, I'd better do the same. I'm staying with her, for the moment." Taxi stretched and joined her. "Thank you for letting us play with you, though." 

This time, Mountain patted his back. "Anytime, Pussycat. You're not as bad as you look." 

Taxi felt his heart swell, and nodded back. 

"Actually," Sylnan said, also standing up. "They're closing soon anyways, so we can follow you a bit on the way." He looked at Br'aad with a kind of 'here you go' look, and the flusteredness on Br'aad's face made Taxi muffle a snicker with his hand. 

Br'aad smiled anyways. "Oh, Sylnan, I was just about to say that. Uh, I'll just take a moment, I have to go to the bathroom," he said, then he rushed off. Meanwhile, they cleared their table. When the last card was gathered, Taxi felt a tap on his shoulder. 

"Could I just speak to you for a sec?" It was Sylnan, gesturing to outside the Cafe. Taxi brushed his hands off and followed. Well outside, Sylnan put a hand on his shoulder. 

"So, man, I just wanted to have this said. I'm really glad Br'aad has found someone he likes, and you seem like a good dude. As you probably know, he has felt insecure about himself, which is why he moved away a year at all. I didn't approve of it, but it can't have been all that bad, since he seems so much happier now, and has found you." He laughed. "Just know that you're always welcome at the Vengolors', alright?" He pulled in Taxi close and lowered his voice to a whisper. "But if you hurt him I _will_ kill you." Then backed away and continued smiling. A shiver traveled down his spine. 

"Uh, right." 

Sylnan walked back into the Cafe, while Taxi waited for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. It felt like Taxi had no right to hear about that, but now it was stuck in his head, and he felt for Br'aad. Was he still insecure, had he pretended to have a boyfriend because he thought he would get more approval? That was just sad. This conversation had highlighted another problem- How would they stop doing this act, would they just 'break up'? Taxi hoped that didn't count as 'hurting' Br'aad.

By the time Br'aad came back, Taxi's head was swimming with thoughts, and he was glad to have an arm playfully hooked to his, successfully bringing him out of his overthinking spree. Relief washed over Taxi, and he let the other take the lead a few springy steps, until he realized with a snort that Br’aad had no idea of where to go. He turned, and set out on the correct road, Br’aad at his side. Taxi once made the mistake of looking back, and Vel had winked, while Mountain had given him a very suggestive thumbs up. _God, I’ll never hear the end of this._ Instead, Taxi opted to start a conversation with the literal bundle of sunshine next to him. Just, he had no idea of how to start.

“This sure is odd, huh?” he mused out loud, settling for his honest feelings. The frown forming on Br’aad’s face indicated that he didn’t agree. 

“...How so?” Taxi had expected some kind of loud outcry, judging from his previous behavior, so he was shocked to just hear a quiet quizzical tone in his voice.

“Ah, oh, don’t you agree? I mean, we’re acting like a couple, and we haven’t even introduced ourselves yet,” Taxi said, then continued when Br’aad’s uncomprehending look remained. “Like, um, we know nothing about each other. It’s odd to be this close to new people, right?”

Br’aad looked down. “My father always said that things are only as odd as we make them.”

He hummed. “Really?” _That’s surprisingly wise. Did I misjudge his character?  
_   
They kept eye contact for a few seconds before Br’aad lost face, breaking into a laugh. “I don’t rightly know, I’ve never met the guy! But he might as well have.”

_Never met the- Oh._ Well, now Taxi definitely didn’t know what to say. He opened his mouth once, only to close it again. Luckily, Br’aad had enough energy for the both of them.   
“Fine, let’s get to know each other. How about, let’s tell each other three things about ourselves. You begin!” _That makes it easy._

“Okay, I work as a florist, my favourite animal is cats, and I love sunflowers,” he said casually. There wasn’t much to talk about in his life, but happily Br’aad didn’t seem bored at all.   
“Oh, oh, me too! Especially my little Liveclock, he’s a bastard, but I love him. What do you mean by ‘Sunflower’? Floorist, too? You must like fixing floors,” he remarked, tone completely even.   
Taxi snorts. “How can you say that with a straight face? But yes, even though I work with all kinds of tropical or classy flowers all day, nothing can replace the feeling of Sunflowers. It’s like sunny summer skies, or running through an open field. They're liking living embodiments of sunshine and smiles.” He caught himself rambling and stopped, hoping he didn’t take over the conversation. Br’aad, on the other hand, looked to be in awe of something.   
“I love sunflowers,” he blurted out. Taxi raised an eyebrow. “Uh, I mean, I just wondered why you liked them, since it was such a coincidence that I love them too! Yep, okay, my turn. I have always wanted to be a musician, I had a phase that I never told anyone about when I was weirdly attracted to dogs, and I made this tatoo myself,” he said, pointing at the tattoo on his cheek. Taxi felt like he got whiplash from that rollercoaster of a statement, and started coughing.

“What the fuck did you just say about dogs?” he laughed.  
Br’aad shrugged. “Hey, I’m as confused as you are. I didn’t want to be, it just happened. At least you can’t possibly call us strangers now.”   
It seems like his strange friend had a point; after that, the conversation flowed freely, possibly because Taxi no longer felt like Br’aad would judge him for what he said, not when he seemed to be so goofy himself. In the midst of the mindless chatter about everything and nothing, Taxi managed bring up their deal. Br’aad promised to help him, and they decided to meet up a couple days later to look together. It felt like no time at all had passed when Taxi arrived at the doorstep, and he caught himself wanting to talk longer. Following this impulse had given him a friend, at least, one that he would want to keep. Velrissa quickly said her goodbyes and went up the small flight of stairs to unlock the apartment. Looking up, the apartment was a small student apartment that Velrissa used while studying to become a doctor. It was far from what Taxi considered ideal, far from nature, but he had made sure to stuff the whole place with his favorite flowers and potted plants while he was there. _That reminds me…_

“Stay here,” Taxi told Br’aad, before rushing inside. He scrambled through the bedroom and bathroom before finding what he was looking for on the dinner table. The sunflowers stood tall and healthy, smiling with their usual cheer. Thoroughly inspecting them, he picked one, and ran back down. The way his face went from shocked to utter glee in the blink of an eye made it all worth it.   
“You said you liked them, so I thought-” Taxi began to explain, but was cut off as he was nearly thrown to the ground by a hard hug. 

“Thank you, thank you so much!” Br’aad gushed, which drew a giggle out of Taxi, who of course hugged back.  
“It’s fine, _Bradley_ ,” he teased. “It’s just a flower.” Nevertheless, Br’aad shook his head, and a wave of warmth spreads through Taxi’s body at his happiness. They stay in that position for a little while, and Taxi must admits he might have leaned in a little, might have enjoyed the embrace a little too much, until a low whistle makes Br’aad jump.   
“Whoa there, Tiger.” Sylnan clicks his tongue. “I think I’ll be taking my brother home now,” he says, which leaves and absolutely mortified Br’aad, and a stammering Taxi.

He laughs. “Relax, it’s fine. See you soon, I hope.” Sylnan gives Taxi a nonchalant salute, before spinning around and starts walking. Br’aad gives a little ‘bye’, before trotting away with him.

Taxi listens as their conversation fades.

“Br’aad, are you cold?”  
“I’m fine, why?”   
“Well, you’re just a _tiny_ bit red-”   
“Shut up!”

_  
_ Taxi smiles.


	2. Crafting Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Br'aad can't stop thinking, and needs to find an outlet for his restless energy

Br’aad Vengolor was so fucking deep in shit.

“Shit, shit, shit…!” he whispered to himself, dragging a hand across his face as if it would remove the blush tinting his cheeks. Stumbling to his feet, he paced around the warehouse in an effort to calm down the raging feelings having some mind of MMA match inside him, but then he spotted the rusty tin can that had worked as a makeshift vase for the sunflower  _ and down the rabbit hole we go _ -   
  


It had all happened so fast. One moment, Sylnan had expressed worry about Br’aad’s tendency to cut himself off, and the genuinely pained and worried look on his face was just too much, reminding Br’aad of times he didn’t want to remember. Then, the word ‘boyfriend’ just slipped out, because of course it did, because of course Br’aad couldn’t do anything better than con people, and then didn’t have the guts to wipe away the relief off his brother's face. The next moment, he had dragged a stranger to their table. Was it pathetic that all it took was the sensation of Taxi’s nearness and gentle voice to make Br’aad’s act a little more ‘genuine’? It probably was, but bada bing bada boom,  _ feelings. _ Actually, Br’aad had even needed to excuse himself when his heartbeat decided to fight for independence in his chest.

Even in a normal situation, Br’aad would have no idea what to do, and this was far from normal. Okay, there had  _ possibly _ been a few times in the past when his alleged ‘lack of boundaries’ and ‘intensity’ had deterred other children, but come on, it didn’t really help that he had practically only talked to his brother his whole life. Nevertheless, it seems like Br’aad had not yet hit rock bottom until he started babbling about parents he didn’t have, or some fucked up phases from the past. The way his throat thickened when he messed up the mood was not exactly comfortable. However, he wished Taxi had talked more about himself. No one wanted to hear Br’aad talk about his own bleak stories, but Taxi had a constant sparkle in his eyes. Everyone that knew a single thing about Br’aad knew he could never get enough of sparkles. He had no fucking clue what a sunflower was until Taxi started explaining with so much passion that Br’aad didn’t care what it looked like, he loved them anyways.

The sunflower didn’t disappoint. How could you not love it when visions of  _ him _ appeared whenever he saw it? Oh god no, he looked at it again, and was now attacked by the abundance of energy. The excitement didn’t even disappear when his brother appeared with a couple cold cans of soup and a misshaped spoon. Naturally, Sylnan read him like a book.

“You really like him, don’t you?” It’s said with laughter, but Br’aad knows his brother well enough to tell it was something Sylnan had mulled over. There was no reason to deny it, not like Br’aad could do it believably anyways, so he fiddled with his spoon and nodded. Sylnan chuckled the ‘I already knew’ chuckle, and sat down next to Br’aad with his own canned soup. Ever since Br’aad had returned, Sylnan had been accepting of his tattoo, new cat, amplified eccentricity, and now his boyfriend. If you ignored the overhanging shadow of their unresolved fight and Br’aad’s sudden leave, you could almost pretend everything was like it used to be. Soup spilling on their clothes as they elbowed each other for space on the cardboard box acting as a table, this time having to maneuver around the paws of Hilltree and Liveclock trying to get an extra taste. When they at last had finished the last of their soup and scraped the sides for the tiniest drops of leftovers, they enjoyed the feeling of being full for a moment together. Sadly, Sylnan got up and got on his coat, mentioning something about business. The word dropped like a stone on his back- Br’aad hadn’t forgotten what they did to survive, not at all, but he hadn’t even thought about how much Sylnan must have gone through to do it alone and oh my god Br’aad had just left him here alone. Shuffling Liveclock away from his legs (sorry bud), he got up too.   
“Right, what are we doing today?” Br’aad asked, knowing Sylnan always had a plan.

To his surprise, Sylnan just put a hand on Br’aad’s head and ruffled his long hair.   
“Take it easy for a bit, I’ll be fine solo today. Besides, Hilltree can be a big help,” he said, and as the dog heard his name being called, he perked up and walked up to them.

Sylnan hunched down and pet Hilltree. “I’ve even taught him a few tricks, so he’s been backing up my plans for a while now.” It was probably out of kindness, but Br’aad slumped in on himself. This was  _ their _ trade, and he had been replaced by a dog that easily?

“O-oh, okay, I’ll just… relax with the rats, or something. I’ll be here if you need me.” He waved his brother and Hilltree off, then he was alone in the warehouse. In the dark and empty warehouse that echoed every breath. At least Liveclock was there, trying to fight his foot. The sunflower stood out in the middle of the room, somehow filling up the lonely silence with memories of yesterday-  _ Here we go again.  _ The butterflies slammed into him.

_ That’s enough _ ! When pacing around and snapping his hands wasn’t enough, a new project formed in Br’aads head. Having received a flower, it would just be common courtesy to return a gift back. Uh huh, it was, no objections allowed. Br’aad could distract himself while still being some sort of productive, win-win. Obviously, he didn’t have the money to go shopping, but he had always liked little crafts. Walking up to a familiar crevice in the wall, he put his hand inside and pulled out his treasure pouch. Opening it brought a smile to his face, seeing the knick-knacks he had saved over the years still being there. A tin thimble, a multicolored sliver of glass, and a pretty stone stood out among the rest. None of it felt like a gift that would actually show how much he appreciated Taxi- It was different with Sylnan, being his brother and all, he had received lots of useless things like individual flower petals, bricks that looked like they had faces on them and so on… What would Taxi like? Shaking his head, he hoped some relevant knowledge on Taxi would just fall out. It was a small assortment, but he gathered that Taxi liked cats, flowers, and had some kind of obsession with Snickers judging by how many he had stuffed himself with the day before. Unfortunately, a Snicker just wouldn’t cut it, and he wouldn’t just give away his cat, so flowers it was. Well, he didn’t have any, and couldn’t exactly afford to buy any, so either he would have to find some wildflowers in this dump, or he would have to come up with something else. Br’aad looked at his sole sunflower, then back at the box, and then repeated the motion over and over, grasping for inspiration. There was a resemblance between the sunflower core and the brown rock, if you squinted. ...What if Br’aad didn’t give Taxi  _ real _ flowers, but one he’d made himself? That would work, wouldn’t it? He breathed out in relief, and cuddled Liveclock to celebrate. Liveclock cuddled back in his own way, just with claws, and in his face, but Br’aad couldn’t remain angry long at his little gremlin. Giving him a last pat, he grabbed the stone and skipped out the door, ready to look for the right components.

One look the abandoned warehouse that was their home, and he quickly decided to look somewhere else. Br'aad needed something yellow for the petals, and something to hold it all together. The warehouse wouldn't have that, to his knowledge, and he did rather prefer going outside than rummaging through dust and his neighbors rats. Br'aad let his eyes travel over trash and polluted streets, having long since known the art of seeing the potential of trash. Passing through cars, shops, and crowds, a broken pipe was the thing to catch his attention. Not the pipe in itself, but the glimpse of something bright yellow in a hole drew him close. A mess of brambles and twigs looked like a birds nest, but it would surprise Br'aad if it was still occupied. It must have been once, at least, since a few bright feathers peeked out. _Perfect!_ _If I need something done, I'll just channel Taxi Willpower™ from now on._ It worked, having already gotten two out of three things, and it was still midday. 

The third component, it seemed, didn't want to cooperate as much. A couple of times he looked closer near the thrash, or picked up a string, but knew he had to look further. Something like tape or glue would work best, and it would not be found just lying around here. Br'aad started steering his steps to the finer parts of town. On a ranking, his home would probably score pretty high up on the 'disgusting and dangerous area' list, enough that it was easy to forget the other side, where people born lucky would spend their days in gigantic villas and luxurious boutiques. The middle ground was the modern apartment complexes and the market. The mall from before and Velrissa's apartment was part of that, and it was around there that Br'aad really begun to keep his eyes open. 

The quirky sign of a crafts shop stopped him. Big windows displayed multi-colored pens and clay, sewing kits and yarn, but most importantly,  _ glue _ . While Br'aad knew for a fact that it would be ridiculously pricy, he did know a thing or two about sleight of hand. Shoplifting was one of the first things the Vengolors had learned, and unlike food that always made so much sound, this would be baby stuff.  _ Sylnan isn't here to help you _ , one part of him said.  _ Taxi deserves this _ , says the other. 

You could guess which side won when he stepped through the door with his scarf covering his most dominant features. Literally beat into him, Br'aad counts cameras, employees, and visitors- anything that could bear tracks of him. He doesn't ask, awkwardly finding the shelf with glue himself. There's an abundance of them; Water-proof, super strong, edible, transparent. One standard little thing wouldn't matter. Br'aad reaches out and slides it in his sleeve, sure that nothing could be seen from his angle. He doesn't have a distraction, no player 2 to help him, so he doesn't have time to move it, only hopes the bump won't stick out too much-

Hoping, it seemed, didn't do a damn thing. 

"Hey, let me see that." Out of nowhere the receptionist had a tight grip around his arm, steely gaze in his eyes. Br'aad opens his mouth to say something, then doesn't know what.  _ Fuck _ , Br'aad had gotten himself into trouble. The most important rule to keep in mind when de-escalating a situation was the no violence rule. So, obviously, Br'aad did the exact opposite and threw the glue in the receptionist's face. He staggers, so Br'aad takes the opportunity to fucking  _ book it _ . 

Br'aad doesn't slow down as his lungs sting or knees protest, not until he reaches the revolving mall door and collapses on a bench on the other side. No one chased him, it was only glue, but he's still having a hard time shaking off the fear. Everything should have gone fine, even now he can't tell what didn't. He's afraid, because what if he's already bad at this, only more of a burden. Nothing will help him here, at least, and he really doesn't want to start crying in public, so he stands up and places a hand on a tree to support himself while taking a few calming breaths. As if it couldn't get any worse, his hand lands in something sticky. 

_ Huh, would you look at that.  _ The decorative tree wasn't a fake, and a little pool of sap was gathered around a hole in the bark. Great, now Br'aad has to find a sink first, or he was never getting this off. His fingers were almost glued together, already.  _ Almost glue _ . The word rewinds in his head, draining away the stress. This...  _ I can use this!  _

A few weird looks, sticky fingers and a back pain later, Br'aad has a sunflower-ish figure laying in the palm of his hand. Carefully, he wrapped it in a handkerchief. Pulling out the purple gel pen he always carried in his pocket, Br'aad wrote as clearly as he could on the package. 'To Saxi'. It was legible, which was good enough considering Br'aad practically had to teach himself (and Sylnan had dropped out to support them so early that he wasn't much of a help in that department). Even with the shiny ink, it looked unpersonal, so he drew a picture of them holding hands, and a heart around it. There was no such thing as  _ too _ personal, was there? Satisfied with his work, Br'aad pocketed it for later. 

The reassuring weight in his picked made the trek home feel shorter, and well home it made the silence less loud. Br'aad wasn't as restless anymore, and could fill the rest of his time by talking to Liveclock, as was the habit he'd grown since his year away. Sometimes, you just needed someone to be there to listen to your long stories and thoughts without having to make a punchline out of it. If a lot of those thoughts revolved around a certain guy this time around, and if he proudly showed the cat his creation, nobody had to know. 

The window slamming open started Br'aad enough to wake him up from his light slumber, or maybe that was Liveclock unsheathing his claws into Br'aad chest.  _ Ow _ . Br'aad hadn't even noticed falling asleep, yet here he was. Blurrily, he caught sight of Sylnan's frame closing the window behind him. Turning, Sylnan noticed Br'aad prescense, and quickly said 'Lullaby', their age-old codeword meaning safety. Br'aad relaxed once more.

He yawned. "Welcome home." 

"Thanks." Sylnan dried off his shoes, then sat down next to Br'aad with his legs crossed and Hilltree curling up next to him. Feeling generous, Br'aad shared his blanket.

"Don't leave a sleepy little brother hanging here. How did it go?" Br'aad asked, curiosity piqued at Sylnan's happy face. 

"No treasure exactly, I'm afraid. Today was special- I had another goal in mind, to be fair. I've been thinking, and felt like you deserved a treat, so I did something about it," he said, and it wasn't until then that Br'aad saw the hand behind his back.  _ Is it candy? Did he buy candy?  _ He tried to get a peek of what it was.  _ Or a book?  _ Sylnan purposefully let Br'aad wave his arms around and guess. After building suspense, he held out two tickets. Probably some kind of fantasy, judging by the name 'Titan-ic Remastered.'

"You've never been to the cinema, have you? Well, neither have I, so it took a while to figure everything out, and I had to ask for help, but here it is." Br'aad's eyes widened, flicking between his brother and the gift. Sylnan laughed at his shock. "This will hopefully be a nice experience for you and Taxi together, on Sunday," he added. 

"W-wait, you got this for me and Taxi?" 

Sylnan sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you this morning, and I don't mean meddle in your relationship, but I want you to know you have my full support. I will be a better brother this time around." 

_ What?  _ Br'aad breaks out in protest, saying thank yous, saying it was fine, that Sylnan couldn't be a better brother than what he already was-

Sylnan hugs him. Br'aad realizes that platitudes would be an empty comfort for someone that doesn't believe in the words. That isn't what Sylnan wants right now. 

Br'aad hugs him back. "You're the best brother in the world. Thank you, it will be amazing." 

Br'aad doesn't ask where the money comes from. 

Or why Sylnan has a fresh bruise on his cheek. 

He knows anyways. And he knows one thing more than the others; That fake date is now a real one. Br'aad simply won't waste Sylnan's efforts. For some reason, that only comforts him more. 

_ Oh,  _ Br'aad is deep in shit. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's my headcannon now that Br'aad and Sylnan are oblivious about a lot of pop culture since they didn't have access to it,,, They're baby
> 
> Also, the POVs might switch a bit between the chapters! (Still Br'aad and Taxi centric, though)


	3. Titanic tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Movie Time (cough cough, Date Time)™  
> How emotionally attached can you get to something when you can already guess the ending? A lot, apparently

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry for the late update, I've been working on this a lot, but there's just one simple scene that I cannot get right?? SO, I'll give you all some mercy and split the chapter instead of letting you wait forever. Here ya go!

The water showers over his body in hot droplets, rinsing away any dirt or ache, leaving his mind to run free. Taxi stretches the muscles still sore from his physical activity. It felt weird to meditate in a place without hearing the slightest bird or leaf rustle in the background, even if his ideals firmly stated that every place held life and it was important to be grateful for it.  _ At least the morning exercise is still be the same, wherever I go.  _ A way for Taxi to ground himself among the drastic changes is his life, like losing contact with his girlfriend, and getting a 'boyfriend'. 

Rubbing himself with a slightly scratchy towel, Taxi dries off the the most of the dripping water, and wraps a towel around his waist to let the rest evaporate on its own. Turning over, a misty surface covers the mirror, so Taxi wipes hind across it to see. He cleans himself up and adds his usual nature-scented deodorant, smelling of cut grass and rich dirt, like home. Then, he stops. Ever since he had woke up, he had pretty much gone on autopilot, doing his normal routine without thinking. Now, he realizes where he's heading. To a 'date' with his 'boyfriend', where they truly would look for Oriana.  _ If Br'aad won't be of any help I'll get really frustrated, because man is this getting complicated.  _ Taxi and Br'aad were going to meet at the plaza (if you could call it that) outside the mall, and… and what?  _ Discuss our options, or start looking at once?  _ Taxi could be patient, but Oriana was someone he was supposed to protect and look after, and he was getting worried after she stopped answering calls and just didn't show up anymore. Best case scenario, she had just been called for some emergency police thingy she wasn't allowed to tell Taxi about, and he would find her immediately, otherwise he would still be spending his day with someone he was supposed to be 'romantically involved' with. Better butter up with some of his products and dress appropriately. He takes the time to get shaved and style his hair. As he moves, his eyes lands on the cat ears on the shelf, recalling how it earnt unwanted comments the last time, as it usually did. Taxi huffed, and put them on.  _ People can like me for who I am or not like me at all.  _

Breakfast, at least, was something that he had come to enjoy more while staying here. Of course it was unfortunate to miss out on his fresh products, but in exchange he got to sit down and share the industrial, mass-produced food with someone else. Worth it? 

Coffee was steaming from Velrissas mug as he sat down at the wobbly table. Despite it clearly being enough left to pour himself a cup, Taxi reached for the box of tea and prepared some. Velrissas glanced up from her anatomy book for a second, shuddered when saw Taxi's choice of beverage, and looked back down. 

"Who drinks even drinks tea anymore, and this early in the morning?" 

"It's not even that early anymore, and caffeine on an empty belly is not good for you," he reminded. 

Velrissa rolled her eyes. "Uh huh… Say what you will, heathen."  _ Honestly, sometimes it's ironic that she's going to be the doctor here.  _ Some would say it was a little silly, but Taxi was really interested in what herbs and nature could do on its own, even if unlike some crazy people he'd never replace modern medicine with it. As a young kid, he had loved reading books and wandering out into the forest to gather things himself. Luck was a big part in the fact he survived childhood, considering all the strange plants he'd tasted. 

"The date is today, isn't it?" Velrissa prodds, unbothered tone contradicted by a smug smile. 

"Yeah, I'm meeting up with Br'aad. I  _ will _ find Oriana." 

Velrissa falls into a momentary silence. "...Is that really all?" Apprehensiveness flutters over her face. "I mean, you and Oriana were kind of on a break, and… Well, I guess that's up to you." The words slowly sink into Taxi, trying to understand.  _ Is she saying that I shouldn't look for Oriana?  _

He takes a bite out of his sandwich. "Don't be silly, now." Velrissa shrugs.

The plaza was a pitiful thing, cracked cobblestone slabs covering a chunk of the uneven terrain in an attempt to create a central gathering place. Persistent shopkeepers still filled the streets with stalls that created a bustle around them, being the life of the area. The flaws of the place already fell into the back of his mind, instead putting an effort on seeing the good parts. People worked here,  _ lived _ here, and Taxi could see the value in visiting if you were interested in the wide range of shops. Wandering around, whereas there was no lack of frowns and stressed movements, the activity and vigor was nearly as prominent.  _ I guess it’s the people that makes the place, here.  _ It was true for Taxi, too.  _ Although I do miss some elements, _ Taxi thought, hunching down to inspect the clearly uncared-for flower beds. He thought of his prior volunteer work with replanting forests.  _ There might be some way for me to help _ . 

“SAXI!” A loud outcry is all the warning Taxi has before he’s tackled to the ground. It takes a couple of seconds for his disoriented mind to realize that it’s Br’aad that has wrapped his arms around him. “I missed you!” he proclaimed loudly, gaining looks from passersby that Taxi very much noticed and burned in his mind. Apart from the public humiliation, it did flatter him to be met with a greeting of that degree.

Taxi groaned, rubbing his shoulder. “I  _ would  _ have said the same, but my face in the dirt is a great spot to rethink.” Br'aad pushed his head off Taxi to look at him face to face. Taxi noticed the wild tufts of hair gently falling from behind Br'aad's ears, hanging over his wide open eyes and stroking against lightly reddening cheeks. A breath passed between them in this position, moment shared in silence.  _ He is actually very pr- _ Something was about to click in Taxi's mind when Br'aad started squirming away and broke eye contact. For some reason Taxi's instinctual reaction was to pull him back, as the warmth where he had lied was growing colder, leaving a light tingling sensation. Of course, Taxi dismissed that thought as quickly as it came. 

"Shit, sorry-" Br'aad got up and reached out a hand for Taxi, somehow looking everywhere but at him and fidgeting with his hair. "I just got so excited and uh, sorry, I-"  _ Oh no, did he take me too seriously? Fuck, that was stupid.  _ Guilt whipped back at Taxi, who reflected Br'aad's flustered manner with his own. 

Taxi took his hand. "No, no, no… I was kidding, I missed you too, a lot. To be honest, I've been thinking about you a lot, I just wanted to-" Then Taxi had jumped aboard the ramble train. They both went on until he realized Br'aad had stopped and was finally facing him. What didn't make him quite as happy was the absolutely thrilled expression taking form. He was forcefully tugged to his feet and embraced yet again. Taxi had to just accept it, Br'aad was a hugger. 

"Ha! You did, did you? Well how lucky you are then, because you will go to the cinema with me today. No objections allowed," he said. 

"Excuse me, what?" 

Br'aad laughed. "I just said no objections. As it turns out, Sylnan found us  _ too _ heartwarming and chipped in with a couple of surprise movie tickets." He held up two tickets saying 'Titanic Remastered'.  _ Am I even surprised at this point? Everything gets in my way when I need something.  _ Though… 

" I guess… " Taxi took a deep breath." I guess it would be a shame to waste them. " 

"My. Point. Exactly." Br'aad held Taxi's hands in his, practically beaming.  _ He is like the sunflower of Kingswharf. _ With some chatter, they walked off, and Taxi saw no reason as to why he'd release Br'aad's hand doing so. 

Leading the way was Br'aad, who insisted on knowing where the cinema was, and disregarding the three times he got lost, you could say he did. At least there was no doubt about the fact that Br'aad knew the _area_ well. He pointed at random things they passed, seemingly having a story for each one. A considerable amount involved his brother and running away from something, but he would cut off for something new instead of explaining what it was. Humming, Taxi got lost in his friend's nostalgic voice, and barely noticed their arrival. When Br'aad talked about how excited he was, Taxi agreed. He did agree, even if there was a slight fear that Br'aad would judge him for not knowing the plot of something so mainstream. Well, part of it was obvious, since it was a Titanic movie, but Taxi could only guess, having not seen one before. In fact, he had minimal exposure to the internet and screens in his childhood due to the strict and isolating parenting he received. Thank goodness Taxi had managed to get out of that place. (Though a part of him would always detest himself for those past actions.) Taxi felt obligated to pay for drinks and a popcorn, cringing at the ridiculous price. A red-carpeted corridor lead down to several sets of doors, one of which had a number matching the one on their tickets, so they entered and took a seat as commercials were playing. In the back of his head, Taxi took in the way Br'aad looked just as baffled with everything, ranging from the salon seats to the large screen itself. Snatching the popcorn out of Br'aad's hands, he placed it in between them to make sure Br'aad wouldn't eat them all already, as immersed as he was with the regular advertising on screen.  _ At least he appreciates what he's given, _ he thought fondly.  That was an understatement, Br'aad if anyone could amuse or be amused by anything if he put his mind to it. It was easy to forget the reason he had agreed to this in the first place as another laugh shook his relaxed shoulders thanks to a classical whispered comment by his friend. Thus far it seemed to be one of Br'aad's talents to ease and fluster Taxi beyond belief simultaneously. The lights going out set an end to any more mulling over that. The movie was starting. 

The story of the Titanic was one of those things everyone had heard something about, hence Taxi didn’t have very high hopes for the fate of the main leads.  _ It’s a miracle I haven’t had any major part spoiled to me already- though that’s mostly me not staying up to date on trends and stuff.  _ He suspected that something would happen to one of them, and thought that that information would keep him from making an emotional connection to the character. Reason lost to irrationality, or so Taxi realized when one character sacrificed themselves and could feel his eyes watering. A sniff from the left made Taxi pause the movement of his hoodie sleeve covering his embarrassment. What he didn’t expect was to see Br’aad full out  _ bawling _ , lip quivering and snot dripping from an ungraciously wrinkled face. The sobs appeared to be muffled by handfuls of popcorn being shoved in his mouth. (Taxi didn’t feel as out of place anymore.) 

The past days spent acquainted with Br’aad must have infected Taxi, seeing as his first reaction was to pull out a phone and snap a picture of him. Admittedly, it  _ did  _ look funny, and if Taxi had needed to suffer through awkwardness, some blackmail material wouldn’t hurt. Ruining the surprise was the automatically activated flash on his phone, alerting his victim of the stunt. Br’aad swung his head to look at the phone like a deer in headlights, hand full of popcorn freezing in the air, and eyes widened. Whatever Br’aad’s initial reaction was going to be, Taxi would never know, as only a strangled cough escaped his throat. Taking the fact that he lived with a medic into consideration, a troubling few seconds passed before he realized Br’aad was choking. And he wasn't stopping. 

"Fuck, oh, hold on-" Taxi said, voice held low. Panicking, he started to bump his friend on his back.  _ Choking… Right, the Heimlich maneuver!  _ Br'aad relieved Taxi of the first aid memory test by hackling out mushy corn goop out of his throat, and taking a sharp breath in. Too worried about his friend, he cared only enough to send apologetic looks around to the people muttering about the fuss. Priorities, alright. 

"I'm sorry, Br'aad, I didn't mean to… I-I just wanted to make a joke." 

Br'aad's cough turned into a laugh. (Br'aad laughed more than any person he'd met before. Taxi was very okay with that.) "Show me the picture." 

Taxi sighed, knowing the picture was going to be deleted. It was fair, so he complied. The cracked phone (thanks for nothing, phone case) was accepted into Br'aad's hands, and after some fumbling a sudden  _ ding  _ sounded from a pocket. Taxi raised an eyebrow at Br'aad, who pulled out a phone of his own and showed the photo texted to himself. He then gave back Taxi's phone and sent another message, despite sitting right next to him. 

'Good job, you got my good side. Definitely keeping this.' The words stared up at Taxi. He… He wasn't mad? Unexpected amounts of relief sprung forth. The screen lit up again, soundless, because at least _someone_ respected the rules of the cinema here. 'You don't need to make an elaborate plan to get my number you know?'  _ Bubble burst. _ In the end, the drama queen couldn’t go a minute without being a dumbass. Making a big show out of it, Br'aad made a new contact named 'Saxi', adding excessive amounts of hearts. It didn't escape Taxi how there was only one other contact on his phone, viciously named 'Asshole Player' with a profile picture of a hand flipping off.  _ Oof, an ex? _ Rolling his eyes, Taxi did the same, saving the contact as 'Bradley', not wanting to let Br'aad win the competition of hearts. 

He sent a message of his own. 

'Very funny. Eyes to the movie now, love, we’re being disruptive.”

‘Roger that, darling.’ With a dimly lit wink, Br’aad did as he was told and continued to watch the movie. 

Taxi, on the other hand, soon realized he was a hypocrite. He tried to turn his gaze to the movie, that at this point was wrapping up. Several times, he caught himself drifting towards Br’aad, finding it equally as interesting to watch the show of emotions parading his face. It wasn’t until the credits started rolling that Taxi was startled out of his stupor. People around them moved out, and he gathered what they had littered on the floor. The employees had enough to deal with as it was, they didn’t need lazy visitors to mess it up. That year in customer service still gave Taxi goosebumps.

Br’aad may be a dumbass, but he wasn’t a idiot, or so Taxi found out as he tried to push down the trash through the too small hole of the trash can.   
“Oh my god, and that ending was so bittersweet. Like, it broke my heart, and looked so beautiful at the same time." 

"Mhmm," he hummed in agreement, pressing down with the help of his weight. 

"It's amazing how could have seen it, really. You were staring at me the whole time." The next push accidentally got too much force, and Taxi nearly toppled over the trash can in the haste of stuttering out a reply that got stuck on his tongue. How could he not have realized how easily misunderstood that could have been.   
“R-really? Sta… Staring? That, that’s weird! I must have, uh, fallen asleep?”   
“With open eyes?” 

“Yeah?” Taxi didn’t like lying, at all, and yet here he was. He’d already dug himself into a hole, he might as well commit. “Things have been busy, and I guess I haven’t really had the time to wind down.” Br’aad swallowed the excuse whole.    
“Phew, glad to hear it wasn’t me boring you to death. But! It sounds like it’s past time for a fun break, and today’s as good a day as any.”

Taxi sighed. “I would love to do that if I had the time-”

“-which you do, so no problem there,” Br’aad interrupted, gaining an irritated look. “Sheesh, if this is about that person you wanted to find, there’s all the time in the world to do that. They’re not dying, are they? And we've already watched this movie, we wouldn't miss a few more hours."

"That doesn't-" 

"Aw, come on! Please, please, please, for me?"    
  
Taxi refused. Br'aad did not give up there. All the way through the cinema he made a fuss by pleading, and caught attention by literally goïng down on his hands and knees to beg. 

"Alright, fine!" Taxi conceded, partly just to stop the spotlight from landing on them again. It was inevitable with Br'aad, who immediately jumped to his feet in cheers, sporting the same ecstacy of someone winning the lottery. 

"Yes! What do you want to do?" he asked cheerfully. 

"I thought you would have a plan!" 

"Pfft, I never have a plan. So?" 

Taxi knew what he wanted to do, find Oriana. To satisfy his friend, he pushed past that. What more was there? 

"I.. Oh, I want to go grocery shopping."

Br'aad shook his head. "Seriously? I said something  _ fun _ , like a game, or going somewhere." 

"Shopping can be fun!" he defended. “Planning what you’re going to do, and putting together a list of what you’ll need for it- especially if something’s on sale, right? It's rewarding.”

“Are you sure you were trying to describe a good time, there? It sounded more like the opposite for me, are you sure there’s like, not  _ anything _ else, at all? If you say laundry, there’s no promise I’ll let you see the morning.” Ouch, laundry was a great way to systematically get your thoughts out, no one could convince Taxi otherwise. The silence was enough answer for Br’aad.   
“Alright, your choice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Laundry is valid


	4. Soaring Fruit Loops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taxi and Br'aad goes shopping and have an intimate moment together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM ALIVE
> 
> HERE IT IS
> 
> this was so fun to write tho !!

The wooden planks sloped over a rusted number plate whose inscription was close to unintelligible, clearly not having been much of a help in keeping it out of harm's way. Messages and graffiti was cluttered all over the walls, concealing but not removing the source of something that smelled strongly of mold. Not even for a second did Br'aad pay attention to the form on the ground that looked a lot like a dead rat, even though Taxi couldn't tear his eyes off it.  _ Huh, that's one thing Br'aad and the rat has in common _ . Taxi scrapped the morbid joke before it reached his tongue, leaving the first initiation of conversation to his friend. 

"Well, do you have your bus card with you?" he asked, gesturing around to the place he was standing in as if that was the obvious conclusion. 

"This is a fucking bus stop?" He raised his eyebrows, but pulled it out of his pocket nonetheless. The shocking part was Br'aad treating this as a completely valid place to be. Taxi was convinced he'd catch some kind of disease if he so much as touched any surface here. 

Br'aad rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, it's disgusting. After one year away, I almost forgot. You get used to it when you literally grow up here." Taxi's opinions must have been visible, and he was starting to feel bad for the judgment when Br'aad moved to a newfound subject. 

"Is your card case… Fluffy?" The words sent Taxi's eyes down to the case of the bus card, that he had completely forgotten was enveloped in a white-and-brown spotted pelt with a cat face on it. It burned in his hands, like his cheeks. "Can I pet it?" His voice was tentative, and Taxi nodded slowly.  _ I should know by now that Br'aad, crying over movies and wearing a pink, glittery backpack Br'aad, won't be the one to call me out for this.  _ Still, it felt good. Br'aad accepted the trinket into his hands and gently stroked his fingers over it. It seemed to have the same effect on him as it had on Taxi, as his body loosened up. 

"It's nice to have something to finger with, if I'm stressed or stuff," he explained awkwardly. A vigorous nod from Br'aad showed that he knew exactly what Taxi was talking about. 

The bus rolled up, barely looking better off than the stop itself. Br'aad had until that point been completely mesmerized by the card, and pouted as he had to give it back. His own card that he pulled out trotting up to the driver was normal, if not a bit worn. Taxi followed, and they both said a greeting (manners outweighing his social anxiety). They didn't get any further, blocked by the beep notifying a faulty card. A momentary battle passed between the dangerous weapon of his friend's puppy eyes and the tired, snappy driver. The hurried driver didn't waste any time with ordering them away when he realized the card wasn't going to work. 

Then they were yet again standing in the smell of mold, wheels stirring up some dust as they rolled away. Br'aad kicked a rock after it. 

"God, I totally forgot it was outdated. I understand it's their job to keep track of this, but now I let you wait here for nothing." 

Taxi placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's fine, I don't mind. I like talking walks." It wasn't the time or place to ask whether he knew the way to the store better than the way to the cinema, was it? 

Br'aad smiled, and started walking. 

Further off, a billboard flickered, announcing the presence of a grocery store. Taxi slowed down his steps and stretched his arms a bit. 

"That wasn't too bad, we're already here," he said.    
“What do you mean?” Br’aad quizzically followed his gaze, then did a double take. “Right. Actually, we’re gonna have to go to another one. I worked here once, and um, I'm not allowed to ever come back?"

Taxi couldn't help his lip from curling. "Br'aad, it's fine, I know how embarrassing it can be to visit an old workplace." He did have to admit that the way Br'aad was coming up with those surreal stories whenever he was overwhelmed melted Taxi's heart. 

"...Sure!" He grinned nervously, refusing to tell Taxi what was so funny, instead starting to hum one of the tunes from the movie and increased his pace. Effortlessly following him, Br'aad tried to speed up once again, but he was no match for Taxi's stamina. This match continued for a few minutes until Br'aad eventually stopped to hunch over. 

" _ How?"  _ he panted. 

"Morning jogs."

"You purposefully wake up early? I'm low-key getting kinda scared here."

Taxi rolled his eyes, but held a helping arm around Br'aad as they continued walking. Thinking of what Br'aad had just had said, he realized he didn't know what Br'aad did for a living. 

"So, you used to work there. What do you do now?" he asked. 

Br'aad looked down, for once seeming to think through his answer. "You could say I run errands." Nodding, Taxi was about to question more when Br'aad diverted away from the subject slightly. "The 'running' part would be a lot easier if I had like, any muscles in my body at all. Maybe I should try your way sometime."  _ It's probably personal _ , Taxi assumed. 

"Yeah, well you could just join me if you'd want. If you don't mind a bit of silence, I'd love some company." 

"Yeah?" Br'aad repeated hopefully. "I might just take you up on that."

Taxi patted his back. "I hope so, I like spending time with-" The sentence was cut short by a large honking from behind, startling Taxi enough for goosebumps to appear over his skin. It was lucky Br'aad stayed composed and pulled Taxi to the side, because a car raced past them where he had been standing not even a second ago. Br'aad let out out a few swear words, then turned back to Taxi who was watching the car disappear with open mouth. 

"-we were on the damn sidewalk! Shit, are you okay?" His voice was laced with concern, and he circled around Taxi protectively, likely looking for any sign of damage. Taking in a sharp breath, Taxi collected himself. 

"It's- I'm okay, thanks to you." 

Br'aad dropped his pout and had relief flashing across his face. "The driver acted really recklessly…" He grinned mischievously,giving Taxi a bad feeling.  _ What is it this time?  _ "There could have been a  _ cat _ -astrophe." A beat of silence passed after his statement. The stare at Taxi's ears made the connection click

"Cat's got your tongue?" Br'aad tried again. "No? Okay, at least that makes for a good  _ tail _ to tell our friends." He wiggled his eyebrows at Taxi, who accepted his fate with a sigh, dragged out for as long as possible. 

When the pavement outside the supermarket finally met his feet, Taxi flopped down on his belly and enveloped it in a one-sided hug. He didn't care, he was  _ free _ . Probably without even knowing the reason why, Br'aad copied him. 

"337," he deadpanned to a confused Br'aad. "How in the world does one make  _ 337 _ cat-related puns in this time-frame?" 

"You're flattering me, Saxi. There was general animal puns too, not only cat ones. Ready to go shopping?" 

"No, I'm dead." Taxi flapped his arms tiredly to make a point. Br'aad propped up his head on his clasped hands and watched him. 

"Luckily, you've got 8 lives left then, kitty." Answering only with a groan, Br'aad hummed in thought before saying something about having an idea and disappearing.  _ What is he up to now? _ Closing his eyes, Taxi let deep breaths relax his body. The thought of spending more time in a crowded place was beginning to feel daunting. A moment later his comeback was accompanied by the rustling of Iron and wheels. 

"NOOT NOOT BABY!" he screeched. Taxi looked up to see a shopping cart swerving and almost falling over him. Scrambling for his life, Taxi narrowly managed to avoid demise by a shopping cart. 

" _ Bradley!  _ This is the second time I've almost been run-over,  _ today _ ." 

Br'aad waved his hand dismissively. "Pfft, you're good. Now, hop in!" he said, pointing at the cart. Taxi looked at it, then at Br'aad, then back at the cart. 

"Only children do that!" 

"I literally don't care. Life would be boring if we pretend not to be childish. Let's go!" It  _ did _ look tempting, and Taxi had always wanted to try it as a kid… In the end, he didn't have a say in the matter, as he was forcibly manhandled into the cart by a surprisingly strong Br'aad. After a few meek protests, Taxi settled, red as a tomato. 

Br'aad clapped his hands together, looking very proud. "All set! Fasten your seat belts and hold on," he instructed, mimicking a typical announcer's voice. Taxi was about to inform his friend that he did in fact not have any seat belts, and let his words turn into one, high-pitched cry as Br'aad speeded over the parking lot. 

The anxiousness had eased up into a light thrill in his chest by the time they entered and slowed down, and knowing Br'aad it was out of concern for others more than their own safety.  _ I'm starting to believe what he said about being banned.  _

"Where are we going first?" 

"Ahem, it's in times like these that put my trust upon my handy dandy-" He pulled out the notepad from his pocket that he had been fiddled with on his way here, thinking up a list. A list, that was concerningly empty of any groceries, and instead had the numbers 1-337 written down. "Br'aad, I swear to god, I  _ will _ kill you." 

"Pass. What's getting you worked up?" The list of growing numbers was pointedly shoved in his face, and Br'aad seemed to have realized what had happened. "So, your multi-tasking could take some polishing, not really a problem otherwise. We'll improvise! What do you feel like getting?" 

"No, no, no, I'm not supposed to handle things like this in the moment. I'll mess something up, or forget. I can't!"

"I'm here with you!" 

"That's not helping." Except, it kind of did. 

"Dream team?" He held out a fist. Reluctantly, Taxi hit it. “Woohoo!”   
To have something to fall back on, Taxi sent Velrissa a quick text asking for ideas. He wasn’t completely sure if Velrissa was home yet, and so he didn’t want to risk disturbing her by calling. Then they steered towards the fruits and vegetables section on Taxi's command, despite Br'aad's protests of it being 'boring' and 'unnecessary', whatever that was supposed to mean. Maybe Br'aad was right, even if Taxi couldn't go around spending all the money in the world, the knowledge he'd have something fresh in his food tomorrow did cheer him up. His inability to choose was run over by the primal instinct of frustration when he told Br'aad to choose one, too, and came back with Fruit Loops. Taxi was also constantly on guard, yet still missed Br'aad sneaking weird things into the cart just because they looked funny,and then he had to somehow reach and put them back from inside the cart. He grew into his position, and the two of them had a little theatrics going, Taxi pretending to be the captain of a ship,and Br'aad a devoted sailor. To be fair, it was _ fun _ . 

"Catptain, I've spotted treasure!" Br'aad broke out of his voice to add a whisper. " _ That means there's free samples!" _

"Arr, uh, take us there!" Lo and behold, a table was propped up, selling some kind of weight-loss sandwiches. The sale it was on barely made a dent in the overpriced tag. Either way, that didn't stop them from having a taste. It was alright, not enough to be affordable. Br'aad was of another opinion. 

"Saxi, you have to buy these, you just have to." 

"Really? If you liked them that much, I guess I could." 

"What? No, I mean, they're on sale! It's practically law that you have to buy it then."

Taxi snickered. "Br'aad, I'm not going to buy something just because it's on sale if I didn't need or want it anyways. That's just a selling tactic to make me think I'm saving money while I'm actually spending more than necessary, you know?" 

"Right..?" He looked a bit disoriented, so Taxi put on his best captain's voice, which in the end was just a stereotypical pirate's voice. 

"Steer to the fishies!" 

Br'aad took the bait."Aye, aye!" And Taxi got a good moment to restock his hoard of tuna and other canned fish. Upon many question of why Taxi spent so much time picking the right one, Taxi gave Br'aad a little crash course in brand's and eco-friendly actions. In the 10 seconds Taxi had his back turned to Br'aad and was comparing two cans of mackerel, he swerved back around to find Br'aad jazzing out to the background shopping music. Taxi smiled, and pulled out his phone to take another picture. This time he'd learnt his lesson, and shut the flash off. It was definitely going in the blackmail pile, he'd send it to Br'aad later. Taxi automatically started to hum and drum on the metal bars the cart, having a nice duet together. He managed to keep remarkably calm at the attention they drew, perhaps Br’aad had a similar effect to his diadem. Part of the reason he wore it was that it worked like a safety blanket, and he could convince himself that any strange or condescending looks were from his cat ears, not from the way he was as a person. The chorus was hastily finished as his phone buzzed in his pocket. ‘Pls get some toothpaste and diet water’ it read, from Velrissa. Immediately, Taxi sent back that he refused to buy diet water, fuck that, though he turned to Br’aad, who shot off towards the right aisle. Having a tendency to take things one step further, Br’aad had a constant flair to his movements, and made sure to get in a mock bow after dunking the specific toothpaste Taxi asked for into the cart. At that point, Taxi was feeling done. In the end it had worked out without Velrissa’s help, and they rolled towards the self check-out (if Taxi had the opportunity to avoid social contact, he would take it). Funnily enough, Br’aad had accidentally gone directly for the exit before Taxi reminded him, and he looked somewhat startled at his own actions.   
“Check-out first, of course.” 

Br’aad winced at the total of 15 dollars, but everything Taxi had bought was necessary( _ unlike diet water _ ), and so he happily paid the price. Two bags were filled, which Taxi took in his hands, except for the Fruit Loops that he handed to Br’aad when they were outside. Br’aad, however, looked over his shoulder, scanning the receipt.   
“How much did they cost? I don’t have anything- anything  _ on me _ , I’ll give it back as soon as I can-”

Taxi shoved the Fruit Loops deeper into his arms. “Relax, it’s just Fruit Loops. It’s fine. More importantly, we have to figure out what to do next. We can’t exactly carry around this all day.”

"Shoot, that's a bit of a problem," he said, snorting at Taxi balancing everything in his arms. 

"I had a good time, more than I thought I would. It's about time to head home, anyways." Taxi nodded up towards the sky that had darkened during their time inside. 

"What, no! I mean, already?" This looked to distress Br'aad, who widened his eyes and fiddled with something in his pocket. 'I mean, I'll follow you home, at least." Though it was sweet, Taxi didn't want to waste his time, and opened his mouth to object. 

"No, no, really, let me do that. I'll have to pay back your most generous gift one way or another." 

Taxi smiled. "If you insist." 

Having dumped one of the bags on Br'aad, they once again walked.  _ It's nicer this time with less people and mad drivers around.  _ They managed to reach the apartment complex without a car crash in good time, it being closer to the supermarket than the cinema. Accepting Br'aad offer of packing up the groceries, Taxi invited him in. He unlocked the unlocked the door with one hand, then held it open for the both of them with a foot. He noticed Br'aad staring at the heaps of green decorations. 

"Excuse the mess," Taxi mumbled, leading the way to the kitchen. 

"You call this a  _ mess _ ? I don't think you want to visit me any time soon. " 

Instead of answering, Taxi caught sight of a human burrito in blankets slurping what looked distinctly to be water from a cup at the table. 

"Sup. How did the date go?" Velrissa asked, completely bothered by their entrance. 

Br'aad cut in. "Splendid! We watched Titanic and I almost died, then Saxi fell asleep. I had no idea he sleeps with his eyes closed." 

She gave him a curious look. "Me neither." 

"OKAY! Let's get this packed up, shall we?" He said loudly, trying to break the conversation with someone who knew that he did in fact not sleep with his eyes open. Velrissa mouthed 'Diet Water' took another sip of her cup, and left the room. Taxi filled the conversation with some nervous rambling a while after that. 

Br'aad scrutinized a pineapple."Make sure to get some rest now, will you? We want you to have some energy so that there'll be at least one voice of common sense with us."

"You’re right. Rest is important, I usually try to make time for meditating in the morning, but I haven’t been able to lately, since I can't find any peace," Taxi answered truthfully. Br'aad dropped his pineapple in thought. 

"I think… I might know a place. Would you mind following me on one last trip tonight?" 

  
  


Curiosity for this secret destination Taxi was being led to slowly gave way to skepticism in the biting night chill, especially as the next alley they ventured into turned out to be a dead end. It did not deter Br’aad, who rather sparkled in his place, looking proudly at the wall. The request for Taxi to close his eyes quickly called a protest to his lips, that died unsaid as soon as it saw the anticipation radiating from Br'aad's soft smile. Taxi nodded, and not knowing what to expect, clung tightly to the offered hand. It was hard to make out what was happening as he could only hear the scraping of trash cans moving across concrete. A gently nudge forward was enough to detorient him for a second, until his free hand touched the grimy metal of a container and he got his bearings back. An excited explanation telling him to  _ climb up _ on it was hesitantly followed. Up next, his hand was guided towards towards a iron bar in the wall, followed by what felt to be several others in a ladder. Taxi was starting to see where this was going. Br'aad encouraged him up, assuring that he was right behind if Taxi if he'd slip. Testing to drag on it a bit, and it seemed to hold his weight well enough, he continued. It later startled him to not find another step, instead a surface to get up on. Only able to go on feeling, it was hard to say how far he had climbed, and though his mind probably exaggerated the distance, Taxi focused on keeping his balance on the roof. As promised, another shape heaved themselves up, letting out a heavy breath. A wind chime tingled, like a thought in the back of his head reminding him that he was alone with what practically was a stranger, and that this should feel strange. The only strange thing was that it didn't. It felt natural to be pulled to his feet by Br'aad, and his voice was soothingly familiar as it whispered a 'Ta-daa!'. Taxi opened his eyes to a whirlwind of sudden impressions from the rooftop of the abandoned house, in perfect view of the moving,  _ living _ city. Almost like the watching the sea; Changing, endless, and yet a timeless calm. Another perspective, indeed. 

The wind tugged him closer to the warm presence pressed against his skin. Hands joined, heartbeats interlinked. Ba-dum, Ba-dum, Taxi was  _ soaring _ . Billboards and buildings gave of neon lights that played in Br’aad’s bright green ones, and just for a while, the world danced in the light of stars that could never be seen through the dark clouds. A euphoric smile reaches all the way to Br'aad's shining eyes. Taxi matches it, and hears himself say:

"You have beautiful eyes." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Admit it Taxi, u love him
> 
> yall, I just have to say thanks for all the support I've been getting like ???  
> you're all awesome, and it really inspires me to write  
> TY!! I hope you'll enjoy this one too!!
> 
> also, for the person who theorized in the comments:
> 
> :)


	5. Conflict of heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Br'aad gets pummeled by feelings and is only equipped with one (1) braincell to handle it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, first of all, yall are amazing  
> second of all, I'm serving some feels today, bon appetit

_How would Saxi react if I kissed him right now?_

The atmosphere couldn’t be all Br’aad’s imagination, could it? Even from the corner of his eye, Br’aad could see Taxi looking at him. Was he supposed to comment on that? Probably not, so he kept drifting towards the sky, the streets below, the rusty screw at his feet- everywhere _except_ Taxi. After a while, he dared to check again, and _nope_ , there he was, having still not moved, and _oops_ ; As he faced Taxi again his first reaction was to pull him close in a hug, a kiss, or anything that meant Br’aad could embrace him more than the hand he was holding. Not that there was anything wrong with them, no, Taxi’s hands were actually warm, and welcoming to snuggle up in since they were bigger than his own hands, just like Taxi himself. Adrenaline buzzed in his mind, and he had almost decided to just say fuck it and do it- come on, what was the worst that could happen- when those words tumbled out of his mouth. Close to a whisper amidst the wind. They came as such a shock to Br’aad that he wasn’t even sure he had heard them correctly . _Did he just say what I think he said? Please, let him have_. It wouldn’t be the first time someone’s words had turned into what Br’aad had wanted to hear, so he couldn’t really be sure, even if the affection soaking through his words and displayed raw on his face gave him some kind of hope. 

“What?” he verified in awe. The confirmation seemed to bring Taxi out of his thoughts, as he physically recoiled and raised his shoulders anxiously.  
“Heh, I said that you’re a nice guy! Sorry, I have to get out of my habit of mumbling." A nervous laugh escaped as he rubbed his neck."Honestly, I'm glad to have met you." Oh, right. Others had this little thing called 'social awareness', and this situation was probably making Taxi a bit shy. Br'aad would hate to put pressure on him or make him uncomfortable, so he pushed away the thought of kisses or whatever. Conversation was fine, it was great as long as it was with Taxi. It was the perfect opportunity to give his gift! 

He beamed at Taxi. "Totally with you there, _Saxi_ ," he said, nudging Taxi playfully, who rolled his eyes but still smiled. The natural response seemed to put Taxi at ease. "What was that deal even about? Finding some _lost lover_?" he teased. Taxi for one, actually nodded. 

"As a matter of fact, yes. I'm trying to find my girlfriend Oriana. I haven't seen her in a while, she haven't answered any of my messages, and I'm a bit worried since she's a police and all." 

It felt like his head was suddenly dipped in cold water. He went over the sentence once, twice and could not find anything. It had been spoken clearly, casually dropping something that brought so much change. _What?_

"How atrocious! Cheating on me already, Taxi?" Br'aad felt his happiness dissipate in a second, but he kept his tone light. This could be a misunderstanding, right?

"God, I hope Oriana doesn't see this as that. I'll have to explain to her that it was all for show." The following laugh made something in Br'aad heart _crack_. 

"You said it, all for show." The package turned incredibly heavy in his pocket. It might as well have been burning to the touch as his fingers clasped around it, and _crumpled._ The hand holding his felt like chains to the embarrassment. In this moment, Br'aad wanted to backflip away from this conversation and go somewhere private to process in peace. Unfortunately, he did not know how to do a backflip, and the place he usually went to clear his thoughts was right fucking here. _Keep it together. Taxi didn't ask to be your romantic interest, you can't just run off and abandon him when you decided to feel heartbroken_ . What a shitty friend he would make if he did that. It fucking hurt to be rejected by somebody who didn't even know they were rejecting you, of course. If he wanted the privilege to remain in contact with this awesome person, he would have to suck it up. It wasn't even a _real_ breakup since they hadn't been together from the start. Easy peasy. Or not. Having been through it multiple times, the hitched breath and stinging eyes was more than enough warning for the coming waterworks. The last thing he needed was for Taxi to correlate the reaction to his statement, so Br'aad frantically looked around for something to blame it on. There was nothing that stood out, so he smashes his toe into the floor violently as his eyes welled up. 

" _Oh my god that hurt_ ," he wailed in one breath. The true pain also relieved him, giving his act more plausibility. 

" _Shit_ , wh- _why_ did you do that?" Taxi rushed to steady Br'aad into a sitting position. 

"Curiosity?" he said, tears rolling down his face. 

Taxi was bewildered. "No! That is not an acceptable answer." He carefully removed Br'aad old shoes, props for doing it without following the instinct to banish those stinking things to the void, and his socks to check the foot. It was red and a little swollen. At least there wasn't anything in the wrong direction or bruised, even if that would maybe not be visible yet. The cutest pout on Taxi's face drew a laugh out of him as he was still crying. That made it stronger for a second before it disappeared. 

"You're stupid sometimes, do you know that?" 

"And you love it!" 

Taxi didn't deny it, so Br'aad considered it a win. The care he held for Br'aad in all his stupidity was something to relinquish. _Maybe being friends isn't all that bad._ After a good hug, the tears stopped, and Taxi insisted that Br'aad should try walking on the foot to see it was okay. While it ached a bit, it didn't feel like anything more than a badly stubbed toe. It was better than the alternative. It hurt to think that his feelings weren't reciprocated so he pushed them away later, clinging to the notion that they would disappear with time. No matter what relation he would have to Taxi, he swore to help him, for real. He deserved it. 

Promising to follow up soon, to actually help Taxi search, they went their own separate ways after some rest on that rooftop. The buzz had not left Br'aad, instead transforming into the sensation of nails digging down his neck and lungs. It was only a discomfort, enough to function and at the same time not small enough to ignore. A conscious effort was necessary to make his breathing behave normally, throat constricted and all. After waving off his friend, that's what they were, he only walked a few steps home before turning right back to the rooftop. Friends in all glory, there was a lot he wanted to process, _alone_ . Sylnan had been so happy for them, so proud, Br'aad wouldn't trade all of that to become undone for some comforting hugs and advice. Even if he so desperately wanted to. Heaving himself up for the second time that day, he both relinquished and hated how empty the place felt all of a sudden. At least it gave him some space and time to think. Some time to be selfish without taking it out on his relationships. _Fuck_ , he understood, and it still hurt. How did Br'aad have a talent for finding himself in these situations? 

_What do I do?_ The question itched at him as he mindlessly swiped through his phone. He didn’t have any experience with relationships ~~unless you counted his multiple daddy issues and how to hurt the ones close to you~~ and there was no one he could ask. Purple dyed hair flashed into his mind. Velrissa _did_ know about the deal _and_ Taxi… But being his friend, she would probably tell Taxi if Br’aad talked to her. Scratch that. _I wish there was a way for me to ask for advice anonymously._ An icon on his screen basically drop-kicked him with an idea. _The internet. Someone on the whole fucking internet must be able to help me._ A bit of scrolling later, he found a pretty active forum, and after unenthusiastically creating an account he could post a question. He kept it pretty short, describing his situation and asking what to do. Turning off the screen, he gave himself room to sort things out himself before checking. The thread had gathered a few replies. 

_______________________________________________________________Acxdtrxpper:  
  


Youve been friendzoned my guy

  
  


_____________________________Technicolor:

welcometotheclub.png

  
  


_________________________________________________________________MermaIsWife:

So ur friend is in love with someone else?? Rip the band aid of and get it over with, either he likes you back or youll get over it

_________________________________________________________________30gold4a:

Personally, I have always kept it to myself,and it's worked out. Rather a good friend than a bad boyfriend. It doesn't make you a bad person to have feelings for someone as long as you don't change because of it <33333

  
  


_________________________________________________________________Asteroid_Kiss:

lol dats mood

  
  
  


It wasn't exactly what he had expected. Half of it was some inside joke, and most of them would not have been approved by his English teacher. Judging something solely based off its bad grammar would be unfair, though. It wasn't like he could talk. Instead, he focused on the two that he could understand. They were trustworthy enough, even if they stood for different sides. The first suggestion stood close to his heart that was yearning to have a sappy love story already. For selfish reasons, it tempted him to confront Taxi about it. On the other hand… Br'aad was proud to say Taxi viewed him as a friend, and at least tolerated his company. _That's a first_ , Br'aad thought to himself with a huff. As a friend. Taxi didn't need Br'aad romantically, and he definitely didn't need the pressure of Br'aad twisting their relationship into something he was uncomfortable with. Whatever it meant for Br'aad personally, it was the right thing to do. 

Br'aad's shoes met the ramp to their floor of the factory with a thump, loud enough to make him wince. 

"I swear to god, if I manage to wake the Rat King today of all days I will-" he muttered under his breath, opening the window he knew would be loose and crawling in before their uncomfortably chatty neighbor saw him and decided to strike up a chat. Darkness and silence alone greeted him. Itfilled the room with a paranoid tension, indicating that not everything was at it should. Or so Br'aad would have thought if he didn't know his brother. 

"Lullaby," he croaked, followed by a cough clearing his throat to rid of any remaining evidence of sadness. In that moment, he gladly accepted the darkness, hopefully covering red and puffy eyes. The moment he said it, rustling could be heard from the beams above, and down jumped Sylnan. He put down Hilltree that he had been holding against his chest, and sighed in relief. 

"Welcome back." He sheathed a dagger.

Br'aad looked up, trying to find the spot Sylnan had been hiding, or better yet, how the fuck he had made it up there. "New trick?" 

"You could say so. I heard footsteps and didn't know who it was, so I decided to wait and scout." 

"You really need to get a cellphone, you know? I could have just texted you." 

"And you know that it would make it easier to track me. This way works just fine.” Stubborn as always. “You, on the other hand, could do good to be a bit more careful. While I completely understand that it bothers you, I _do_ , I noticed how you left _it_ at home,” he pressed, looking down. The playful banter cooled down, scratching at the edge of one of the serous topics they had taken to avoid. The item in question was obvious , the tone of which it had been been spoken spelled it out clearly.  
Br’aad huffed. “It’s not really my go-to accessory for a date.

“I get that. I was wondering about it, and I got worried that you couldn’t defend yourself if something happened, you know how Kingswharf can be.” His tone and face wasn't at all stern, more wearing an apologetic expression because he had to say it at all.

“‘You’re only as safe as you are at your most vulnerable’, I heard you the first time,” Br’aad snapped before he could think. Sylnan took a step back and let a silence fall between them. Br’aad combed through his hair in frustration. _Is it that impossible for me to handle a situation delicately?_ Sylnan hadn’t even told him to use _it_ , he would probably be the last to do that, he only wanted Br’aad to have _something_. The reason he remained behind was to avoid a situation like this, emotional control seemingly wasn’t his forte. It was just salt being rubbed in an open wound right now. He couldn’t think of something to say that wouldn’t be insensitive, and Sylnan wouldn’t meet his eyes. After a moment, he had composed himself a bit more.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to- I’m all pumped after- Yeah, sorry,” he got out. It wasn’t a lie if he left out some important parts, was it? 

Sylnan held up a calming hand. “It’s fine, let’s start over.” He pulled Br’aad into a hug. “Welcome back, I'm glad to see you're okay. "

“Thanks.”

Sylnan backed a step away to face Br’aad with a raised eyebrow. “‘All pumped up’, huh? You made quite the commotion getting here, and this late. Someone else on your mind?”

“Oh, shut up.” He pushed himself away bashfully, to the delight of his brother. At first, he was going to refuse it, then realized he and Taxi had literally made a deal for this. Sylnan was none the wiser about what was going on behind the scenes, so Br’aad could blab about his feelings all he liked. _Having_ feeling was alright as long as he didn’t let them affect his and Taxi’s friendship. “He’s just so damn adorable, okay? Look-” He waved the cereal box. “He even bought me Fruit Loops!”

“Ah, love at it’s finest. Never mind the actual movie you went to when there’s Fruit Loops.”

Br’aad elbowed him for the sarcastic tone, venturing back into a lighter atmosphere. “That was obviously great! We both loved the movie, though you could have warned me that I was about to bawl my eyes out in front of a room of people.” 

Sylnan shook his head like he possessed some ancient, greater wisdom. (Br’aad knew better.) “That’s half the fun!”  
“Sadist.”  
“Drama Queen.”  
“Low-budget vampire cosplayer.”  
“Pineapple on pizza sympathiser.”  
That was the last nudge over the edge, _pineapple was a valid topping goshdarnit_ , and he went to tackle his brother. Sylnan rolled out of the way with a taunt.  
“Easy.”  
“Come back here you heathen!”

They were starting an impromptu game- No, not a game, it was an extremely serious, life or death hunt for vengeance, when a derailed laughter echoed from downstairs. His hand froze, a hair away from grabbing Sylnan's collar and achieving ultimate victory, and Sylnan freezing before he had swept Br'aad off his feet. A look was shared between them, both knowing what it meant. Nope, no more of that, they were done making sounds for that day. The grips they had on each other relaxed, and Br'aad wormed away, sending a thankful smile his brother's way, then got ready for bed. Even after all the shit they'd gone through and everything that Sylnan had going on, he was trying to repair the rift between them, that much was clear. 

It must have been the after the 20th time Br'aad changed his sleeping position that he gave up. He was not getting any sleep until he had expressed what was on his mind. The idea that Sylnan could know how to find someone in this city much better than Br'aad could alone grated at him, considering he didn't know how to explain the situation. 'Hey, I'm trying to find my crush's girlfriend, who's also a police, do you have any tips?' No. The thought that he would let a potential lead go because of his own pride grated worse so he eventually turned to Sylnan. 

"Syl, are you awake?" he whispered. Br'aad could see the a head nodding through the darkness. "Saxi told me that he has a… An old friend in the city, that he has trouble getting back in touch with. I was thinking, and maybe that would be a nice little gift you know? To help find this person. And not to put any pressure on you or anything-" 

"Of course, I'll do what I can." 

His heart warmed. "Thanks, I'll tell you more in the morning. Night." 

"Night." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this chapter was kind of a short trainwreck, I don't really feel like I managed to convey the feelings and thoughts of the characters properly, but I didn't want to get stuck on that either. Take it or leave it!


	6. You're by my side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taxi and Br'aad goes on a jog, and looks for Oriana.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO YES THIS CHAPTER IS FINALLY FINISHED :DDD
> 
> Apologies to all the lactose intolerants reading for the amounts of cheese in this chapter

The text shone brightly through the screen, unread. It was already seven in the morning, there was no way Br'aad was still asleep. Was he choosing to ignore it? The image of the chaotically lovable bastard popped up in his head.  _ Nevermind, it's Br'aad _ . Should Taxi send another message to ask if he was awake? If he was asleep, that might wake him up. It would be better to wait for a reply as it was. ...Unless that was a rude thing to do. Apologizing for sending the text would be better! Taxi nodded to himself and sent another message.

‘I hope I’m not disturbing you’. Then, immediately felt his breath hitch. What if the first text didn’t wake him up, but  _ that  _ one did? ‘Sorry’, he quickly added, shrinking down even further, because now he must be irritating him and-

_ Ding _ . ‘no no, im up’. Taxi breathed out as he read it. ‘Good morning lovely!’

He rolled his eyes warmly. ‘Good morning to yourself!’ A finger hovered over the heart emoji for a split second, until he pressed down and sent it. It took no more than a second before he received a response accompanied by what must have been every possible heart emoji on the whole phone.   
‘Missing me already or do u have a plan? ;)’

‘’I was just going to go jogging, and you said you were interested. I mean, if you haven’t changed your mind.’

The speed of the answer made Taxi wonder if Br’aad had some kind of lightning fingers. ‘Of course!!! id love to’

‘Great, then we can discuss a bit about Oriana, too’ He suggested.

‘Yeah’

‘Thanks, cya at my place in an hour?”

‘Coolio’

The skepticism radiating from Velrissa when Taxi adjusted his ears again only to send send another nervous glance at the clock could be felt from waves. So what, his clothes were maybe a little finer than usual, and he had spent half an hour getting just the right hairstyle. It was a rare occasion to brag about his skills, that was all it was.   
“Your hair is fine, Taxi.”   
He let his hand fall. “I know, I’m only making sure.” Judging from the muffled snicker, Velrissa somehow found that funny. Then, she silently watched him, looking like she wanted to say something. “Come on now, I can tell you have something on your mind.”   
She nodded. “Have you considered that Br’aad might… Does he know your relationship to Oriana?” The question was spoken like something should be read between the lines, leaving Taxi confused.   
“I- Yeah? I told him more about Oriana yesterday, why?”   
“Really? How did he react?” Velrissa asked, shocked, and not answering his question. He thought back.   
“I don’t know, normally?” As normal as Br’aad could get, at least.  _ How is that important? _   
  
Velrissa was about to argue further until someone knocked on the door, reminding Taxi of his nervosity, and surprising him enough to fall out of his chair and hitting his head on the table. He swore, all the while his so called friend laughed at him.  _ Traitor _ .   
“That would be your date.”   
“Ha ha, you’re  _ hilarious _ ,” he grumbled. She shrugged, and nonchalantly went back into her blanket cocoon. “I won’t be back as late this time.”

“Alright, have fun.”

The door was unlocked and opened, and there he was standing. Br’aad smile grew as he saw him. He had dressed for the occasion, hair put up in a ponytail and he was sporting- Oh god,  _ what _ was he wearing? It was an oversized, neon pink Hello Kitty tank top with glittery text writing out ‘B Pawsitive’, together with shorts that had a stereotypical Hawaii print, and of course his pink backpack. What truly astonished him wasn’t any of that, it was the fact that Br’aad was able to make it look good. Like,  _ really good _ .

“Someone here is ready,” Taxi commented, pulling Br’aad into a hug. 

“Duh! I have to be prepared for everything if I want to learn your secrets to a hot, muscular, body,” he said matter-of-factly. 

Taxi nearly choked. “What?”

"I said that I have to be prepare for everything if-"

"Nevermind, I heard you. It's not some super Saitama training program, you know? 

"Saitama?" he repeated questioningly. 

"The point is, I jog, do a bit of yoga, and meditate as often as I can. There's no shortcut to it." 

Without warning, Br'aad shot up his head and started sniffing around Taxi. "Do you smell that? ‘Cause there’s some bullshittery going on." 

"Br'aad, I swear to god-" 

"I mean," he gestured towards Taxi, as if making some point. "It's obvious." 

" _ Bradley _ ." 

"Aww, are you telling me this won't magically make me beautiful? Fuck the muscles, that's the _real_ shame." _I am not even muscular!_ Basically everyone Taxi knew were stronger than him. Hell, even Vel regularly went to the gym and could beat him any day if it was a contest.

"It's not like you need it,” he said with a snort. A beat of silence later, Taxi realized what his comment implied. “I mean, uh-”   
“No take-backsies!” Br’aad’s face had predictably gone from surprise to looking like a cat about to pounce on his prey in a flash. “Please, do go on about how lovely I am.”

Taxi elbowed him, trying and failing to hold back a smile. “It  _ is _ nice to be around someone with confidence in themselves. Like, it’s kind of inspiring. You’re being...you. The way you act, talk, and dress, for example. Or…” he began, trying to find the right words. In Br’aad’s current clothes, the purple tattoos slithering over his arms and up to his cheek was more visible. In uncharacteristic impulse, Taxi took one of his hands in his. “These tattoos, too! They fit you so well, and it’s such an interesting pattern. Do you have any symbolism or special thought behind it, or did you choose them randomly? I can see it being either way, with you. ”

Strangely, Br’aad tore out his hand from Taxi’s and hissed. “None of your business!”

A rush of anxiety fluttered over him. Frankly, Taxi didn’t understand what called forth that reaction, but he had to have done something. Did he mention a sore spot, a sensitive subject? “I… Yeah, okay.”   
At once, Br’aad looked regretful. “Sorry, no, I didn’t mean that. It’s... Ugh, I’m worse at this than I thought. Let’s just start running?” he rambled. Eyes down, Taxi nodded, and sped up. 

When he had landed on a comfortable pace, he plopped in the in-ears that he had luckily brought, despite thinking he wouldn’t need them today. It eased the awkwardness between them.  _ I said something hurtful, didn’t I?  _ That was the only explanation. To this point, Br’aad didn’t seem like to person to lash out for no reason. Or, maybe that wasn’t anything, and Taxi was overreacting.  _ Did I mess it up? _

The same hand that had violently pulled away before found itself in his palm again. Taxi looked down, and Br’aad grimaced apologetically. Taxi tried squeezing the hand, and got a reassuring squeeze back.  _ Or maybe, it was a mistake, and we’re fine.  _ Being optimistic about it wouldn’t hurt. Speculating about it would. He paused the music.

Taxi took a deep breath. “Br’aad, are you okay? You’ve been a bit off.” Br’aad says nothing, staring down at his foot in betrayal.  _ Why would he..? _ The memory of Br’aad smashing his toe into the ground yesterday appeared, and it made sense. “Wait. Oh no, does it still hurt? You should have told me instead of being a big grump about it!" Taxi laughs, at ease that the problem was so simple. Br'aad stills, then walks in front of Taxi, forcing him to stop in his tracks. 

"Before I say anything else, I want to make sure something important. Do I make you uncomfortable?" . 

"No?" Taxi answered, taken aback by the question out of nowhere. 

"Seriously. I care about you, and your opinion." 

To honor Br'aad's wishes, Taxi took a moment to mull it over. All he could feel was a warm appreciation. "Thank you, but no. I have a habit of isolating myself anytime I feel overwhelmed by a situation, so I would be grateful if you have some patience. You're honestly one of the few that I don't feel drained by being around, if that makes sense. It's weird, considering you always go out of your way to irritate me." His voice prodded Br'aad cheerily at the end. It was a bit unsettling to see Br'aad so quiet. After a second of contemplation, Br'aad nodded with a smile. 

"... Does that mean I have permission to tease you?"

"That's what you choose to hear out of everything I said?" 

"Obviously! How else could I be a good friend? And, uh yeah, sorry, it was the toe. It's fine though, I just, hm, stepped on it wrong! What do you say we continue jogging, and I'll tell you what I was thinking about Oriana?" 

Taxi crossed his arms, sighing in relief. "Great. If you don't mind, I'll listen to some music after that? I usually take this time to sort out my thoughts." 

"Roger that, Romeo!" 

_ That makes sense.  _ Br'aad had explained how he and his brother, who agreed to help, had discussed some basic ideas. Straight up asking the police station went first, and otherwise they would ask around on some populated street. If that didn't work, Br'aad had mentioned that Sylnan knew someone that could help.  _ It's nice to have help.  _ Of course, Taxi could probably have come up with this plan of action himself. Having a local guide and several people to cooperate was another matter. Getting to know Br'aad by itself made the ordeal worth it, like he had said on that roof. It was a truthful compliment, even if he had meant to say another from the start.  _ Wearing your heart on your sleeve can easily be misunderstood _ . While Taxi meant well, he had corrected himself to avoid being creepy.  _ In hindsight, it was not that bad. _

Now, he stopped as he felt Br'aad tap him on the shoulder. Sweat glistened on his forehead, and he wiped it off after a couple of winded breaths.

"Saxi, don't look, but Sylnan and Mountain are behind you!" he said in a whispering voice that still held his normal, loud volume. Instinctively, Taxi glanced over, and spotted the two of them walking in their direction, a dog each and Sylnan with a skateboard under his arm. The small, sickly one he recognized to be Hilltree, and Mountain seemed to have a mastiff. 

Taxi turned back to Br'aad. "Does mountain have a dog?" 

"I told you not to look! Yes, his name is Jak, and no he is not dangerous just because he's a mastiff."  _ A dog person,  _ Taxi thought,  _ that explains it all.  _ "Anyways, I told my brother that we were looking for a 'friend' of yours, so he'll help us. First, pretend to say something funny and I'll laugh- scratch that, I'm a shit liar. Tell me literally anything at all, my sense of humor has lower standards than Sylnan when it comes to hygiene, and that says a lot." The slight sibling shade being thrown passed pretty much unnoticed as Taxi tried to come up with a story that he judged to be even slightly interesting.  _ Maybe…  _

"Did I ever mention my first job?" he began. 

Br'aad looked up at him expectantly. "Nope." 

"Okay, it's actually kind of embarrassing. For personal reasons, I felt like a dead weight to my family, and wanted to get a job. Unbeknownst to me, they didn't trust me with that responsibility, and proposed a job themselves…" He paused, partly for dramatic effect, partly trying to keep the rising venom out of his voice. It was supposed to be a funny story. "Scarecrow." Br'aad got out a strangled 'no', and Taxi nodded, confirming that it was indeed going in that direction. "They convinced me that all the scarecrows were real people, I have no fucking clue how. I happily accepted, and joined my place in the middle of a cornfield for 7 hours a day in the summer heat- straw hat and all. If I hadn't worn that or brought my water I most likely would have gotten heat stroke. The thing is, I didn't realize the truth until the weekend. I would have continued to believe so if it weren't for the fact that I had approached another scarecrow in secret because I wanted to ask for advice. Whenever I saw them they stood so still, and I didn't understand how. Then, I thought he was dead! I ran straight home, crying, and refused to go near one ever again. "

As the story wrapped up, Taxi saw how Br'aad had hunched over. It wasn't until his shoulders started shaking slightly that he realized was in fact not only catching his breath.  _ Is he crying all of a sudden? I knew his foot must be hurting!  _ Just as Taxi rushed forward to place a supportive hand on the back of his friend's back, he started laughing.  _ Oh _ . 

"Oh my god I can't get out the image of baby you covered in hay and T-posing in a cornfield, it's too good," he got out between laughs, falling to his knees. 

Taxi crossed his arms, wanting to deny it and unable to. "Come on, it's not that funny." 

"You were a fucking scarecrow, of course it is!" 

Predictably, Sylnan and Mountain soon spotted them and headed in their direction with a greeting. By the time Sylnan had dropped down his skateboard and made his way over Br'aad was rocking back and forth on the ground, laughing uncontrollably. It was very contagious, as Taxi himself to no avail tried not to shake the camera as he sneaked in another picture. Saving memories of his life was important to him, which could have something to do with Taxi not having a lot of anecdotes left from his childhood. 

Sylnan swerved to a stop, a eyebrow raised at his brother. "What happened to him?"

“Clearly, he didn’t lie about his sense of humor,” Taxi answered, a bit baffled. 

“You ha- ha ha, have no room to talk, Mister Laundry-liking man,” Br’aad broke out, gaining a light kick from Taxi. However, Sylnan nodded in understanding.

“You dabble in it too? No offence, but I didn’t think you were the type.” ‘Dabble’ was a funny way to describe it, and yet no oddity would surprise Taxi coming from the brother of the one and only Br’aad.

“No, I do. I find it rewarding, you know?”

“Sure, that’s why it can be worth it to help someone out from time to time, as long as you stay careful,” Sylnan said, and while Taxi didn’t quite follow the sly tone, he nodded.

“That’s actually very kind of you.”   
Sylnan chuckled. “I don’t know about ‘kind’, it’s not exactly within the la-”.

Absorbed in the discussion, Taxi hadn’t noticed how Br’aad had slowly formed a horrified look of understanding as the conversation went on. At this point, though, he jumped up and covered Sylnan’s mouth. Needless to say, Sylnan ripped it off, his confusion visible.

“Sylnan, _ shush _ . You’re not talking about the same kind of ‘laundry’.” 

The vague message seemed to have been perceived by his brother. “Fuck.”   
“Yeah, no shit.”

Taxi’s question for what in the world the two of them were talking about didn’t have time to be released to the world as an angry Mountain finally caught up, which seemed to be the standard setting for him. 

“Sylnan, if you rush away from me with that skateboard one more time, I swear I’ll break it in half.”

“Not again,” Sylnan sighed, eyes dropping to the the layers over duct tape around the skateboard’s middle.   
Br’aad put his hand over his heart and let out an offended sound. “You wouldn’t, it’s too beautiful! Have you even  _ seen _ the suave in which he wields it? Superb, slick like a shaved stick!” His voice was overly pompous, then suddenly changed back to his normal voice. “That reminds me! Can we snag a ride to the police station?”

“What did you do?”

“Nothing, nothing! I thought that was the best place to start looking for Saxi’s friend.”

“She’s a cop?”   
“And you already promised you’d help.”

“Can someone tell me what’s going on?” Mountain butted in.

“I guess I did- We’re helping Taxi look for someone, a Oriana, I think. What do you mean by snag a ride?”

“I know I was forbidden from using your skateboard alone ever since that accident, but…”

Sylnan interrupted, crossing his arms. “No, absolutely not.”   
“You didn’t let me finish! You can be the one to steer and I can balance behind you, it would just be to the police station, it isn’t too far away. Saxi and Mountain can take the dogs, right?” At the last sentence, he turned to Taxi and Mountain with pleading eyes. 

“Right?” Taxi accepted. Mountain scoffed, but ultimately agreed.

The pleading gaze returned to Sylnan, who managed to face it for a good second before succumbing. “Fine, as long as you wear the helmet.”

“Wohoo!”

“This is what we’re doing now? Eh, Jak and I wouldn’t mind another walk,” Mountain grumbled, not sounding agitated, which by his standards must mean he was up for it.

Taxi tapped Br’aad’s shoulder. “We barely even said hello, and now we’re on our way to the police station?”

“Spot on!” He strapped on his helmet and gave it a pat.   
“And why is the skateboard necessary…?”

“It isn’t, of course, if I’d want to be boring. I’d skate myself, but uh, certain experiences tells me I’m not ready for that responsibility. Let’s go find your friend!   
Taxi smiled at the excitement that was lightening up Br’aad. “Thank you.”

The four of them making their way through the streets made quite a sight, as Br'aad and Sylnan took the wobbly lead, Taxi and Mountain running to catch up (which was much easier considering two people on one skateboard took down the speed by quite a bit). Plainly, it wouldn’t be like them to accomplish something mundane without difficulties- why would they? So, as words were exchanged and they got deeper into the city, Br’aad and Sylnan sometimes avoiding close calls and last minute turns, a voice called out from inside a stopped car.   
“I fucking found you!” A man wearing what could only be described as vengeful expression pointed an angry finger at them. Taxi could not recognise him, and neither did it seem like Mountain could. Based off their horrified expressions, the brothers did. Their eyes fixated on the man for a moment, and thus not paying attention to the road ahead. Taxi saw how a wheel caught itself on a loose brick and launched the two of them forward. Sylnan, being in the front, twisted to his feet in time and caught his skateboard in his other hand, while Br’aad being unprepared and untrained to keep his balance in such a way held his hands forward to catch himself, about to get a nasty injury. He would certainly have gotten some, if Taxi hadn’t rushed forward, catching him in his arms.

Br’aad blinked at him.  
That was about all that Taxi endure before his arms gave in and Br’aad was dropped to the ground, albeit with less force than he was about to. “Told you I don't have any muscles _._ ” A car revving in the background brought him back to reality, as Mountain pulled Br’aad to his feet.  
“I don’t know what you did this time, and I don’t care. We’re getting out of here.”  
Sylnan nodded, and began moving towards a side street, too small for a car to pass through. “Agreed, follow me.”

From there on, they escaped unscathed and quickly lost the car by taking smaller roundabouts. There was no more shared skateboard all the way to the police station, and Br’aad would laugh off any questions about the stranger.  _ It doesn’t matter, now _ . Oriana could be in the building right in front of him, or have passed through. He unconsciously brushed the dust off his clothes and straightened his posture.  _ I’m ready. _ After a few determined steps forward, he noticed no one else was following.   
“I’m not going in there, and neither should Br’aad,” Sylnan insisted.   
“Right!” Br’aad added. “We… We have to look out for that scary man, don’t we? And the dogs?” He sounded unsure himself. Taxi accepted it, continuing to walk.

The door shut behind Taxi with a click, bringing the attention of the receptionist by the desk.    
“Can I help you?” he asked, as Taxi said nothing.   
“Yeah, I- Yes. I am looking for someone named Oriana, who might be working here. Wait, I should have a picture on me-”

“I am sorry sir, that is confidential information.” Taxi froze.  _ Oh. _   
“Right…” The colorful sticky notes on the counter stood out to him. “Could I leave a note?

Outside once again, this time disappointment sinking his shoulders. Br'aad interrupted the lively debate he was having to meet Taxi with a smile.  _ At least that means I’ll have an excuse to continue talking to you so much.  _ It turned into sympathetic grimace upon his face coming into view. 

“Ouch, didn’t she want to see you?”

“Hey! She wasn’t there, as far as I know. They don’t give out personal information, so I left a message just in case.”

Sylnan walked up to them. “That makes sense. As for Plan B, I think I know someone that could help with the ‘tracking’ part. There isn’t anything more we can do today, unless you want to go ask around yourself, which would probably be like finding a needle in a haystack in this city. I’ll get in contact if I find out anything. In the meanwhile, Br’aad, we talked about stealing-”   
“Stealing the...  _ show _ , yes! Since we’re always outshining everyone with our greatness. That’s true, for old time’s sake. I’m up for it, I have to make sure you didn’t get rusty with me gone,” Br’aad continued. “That’s my cue to say goodbye! Hit me up if there’s anything.”   
“Will do, thank you for coming with me today. Will I see you again tomorrow..?” 

Br’aad hugged Taxi, grinning brightly. “I’d never miss it!” 

After Mountain had come to say goodbye too, Taxi waved them off. Br’aad took the two of them arm-in-arm and started walking. Sylnan, however, slipped out of his grasp.

“I had one more thing I wanted to talk to Taxi about,” he said. Br’aad stopped, nodding at him to continue. “In private.”   
“ _ Sylnan _ ,” Br’aad whined, sounding almost bored. He blinked, and opened his eyes looking like a puppy whose tail had been stepped on. Sylnan looked to be used to it, and answered back without hesitation.   
“I’ll let you borrow the skateboard while I’m talking.”   
“Deal!” He took it and wandered off a bit, leaving them some privacy.    
Mountain rolled his eyes and pointed at Sylnan. “Don’t forget that you owe me a beer.”

“I don’t remember promising that?”

“Then you remember wrong. I’ll leave you to it.”

Kicking a stone, Taxi’s heartbeat accelerated slightly as he was left alone with Sylnan. The memory of Sylnan threatening him, although mildly, was fresh in his mind. It was daytime, right outside the police station, so it couldn’t be that bad.   
“Okay, so, as you’ve probably heard, Br’aad’s birthday is coming up this Friday. Normally, Br’aad and I pass it quietly by ourselves, but since you’re here I thought about having a small celebration. I invited Mountain, and you could bring Velrissa if you wanted.”

Taxi nodded as he processed what Sylnan was saying.  _ Br’aad’s birthday?  _ Even if he hadn’t known that, he could have been supposed to if he and Br’aad were actually dating, so he played along. “Mmm, I have to get him a gift.”   
Sylnan shifted his stance apprehensively. “That’s… I wanted to ask you for ideas. ”   
There Taxi was put on the spot.  _ Though, I could get a few ideas from the time I spent with him up to now.  _ “Perhaps… A skateboard? You’d know best, I think.”   
“No, all I could think of was getting a boring pair of shoes. While I’m his brother, I haven’t seen him in a year, and you have. At this point, you probably know him better than me,” he said, his voice lowering along with his confidence as the sentence went on.    
Taxi shook his head. “I wouldn’t have noticed that he needed new shoes- we could kill two birds with one stone, and take both of our ideas. Why not heelys? Maybe it’s not my place to say, but I don’t think Br’aad would distance himself from you even if he’s been away. The whole reason I suggested a skateboard is because I saw how much Br’aad looks up to you and what you do.”

The taken aback look on Sylnan’s face was slowly traded for a soft, nostalgic smile. “That’s how it’s always been, though I’ve never deserved it,” he muttered.

“Sylnan, look at his!” Br’aad called from behind Taxi. Suddenly, Sylnan saw something that seemed to instantly turn on his protective sibling instinct, or at least bullshit radar, because he began running in his direction.   
“Br’aad, be careful!”

“Mama didn’t raise no bitch!”   
“Mama didn’t raise you at all!”

And that was where Taxi noped out of the conversation.

  
  


From there on, Taxi continued to meet with Br’aad every day for a morning jog, and they often worked together, asking around for Oriana as Sylnan worked on his thing. It felt reassuring to have someone with you, even if they didn’t manage to find anything.   
  
Until one day.   
  
One day, he found his phone to have tons and tons of missed messages, and Br’aad was calling him over and over. The connection wasn’t hard to make.    
  
“Br’aad-”   
“We found her, Saxi.”

Taxi honest to god fell to his knees, a wave of relief coursing through his body. She was alive, she was safe. It was not another person in his life disappearing from him.

“Sorry, Saxi…. We found her. She’s in the hospital.”

* * *

Bonus:   
  
The intruder wasn’t even trying to be discreet about it, barging in, crowbar in hands and whistling on a chummy tune. Red shoulder-length hair was the height of what was visible from the roof. Was it a simple coincidence, or someone sent with sinister ties because of Sylnan’s digging? It was impossible to tell if he continued to stay here, so he dropped down close behind the man, knife in hand. The noise of the rats had luckily warned him of the man, giving him time to hide.   
“Who the fuck are you and what are you doing in my house?” he snarled.

“I was going to rob you, but man, you really got nothing.” It was said playfully, and immediately, no evident surprise at Sylnan’s appearance.  _ This will take some more convincing.  _ He let the knife hover over the man’s throat.   
“Rob me?” I must have gone blind, ‘cuz to me it seems like I’m the one with the upper hand here.”

“Chill out dude, I said I  _ was _ going to rob you. Clearly, you could use some help. I’m a burglar, not heartless.” 

The knife was pressed down, touching skin. “Give me one good reason not to do this.”

“Hey, hey, I can be useful! How about we make a deal? Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time I’m doing this. I’m known for my smuggling skills, if there’s something you need, which I can see you do.”   
“Being known in this line of work is not in your favour,” was all Sylnan protested, thinking through what the criminal said. Sylnan would like to avoid murder in all cases he could, and it was not like he actually intended to take the man up on his offer. It was merely a way to make sure he didn’t come back to try again.   
“Maybe not. That doesn’t change the matter at hand. You seem like a sociable fella, you sure there isn't anything on your mind- if not for yourself, then for a pal?”   
Sylnan had always told himself this heists and crimes were only for the necessities, for the basic things to survive. A means to an end, doing as little harm as he could only when needed. If not before, it had become a lie when he used live kids as bait. Overpriced tags was etched into his mind, as was the hope to see a genuine smile on his brother’s face. How much of a difference would one little thing make, by now?   
“Heelys.”   
“What?” The guy seemed to be equally as surprised at Sylnan that he had gotten an answer.   
“I want a pair of Heelys by Friday, or I swear to god you’re not gonna make a single other trade here. Understood?”

“I knew you had it in you.”   
Sylnan reached out a hand. “Business is business.”   
“Glad we could come to an agreement.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I mispelled 'clock' as 'glock' and didn't notice it until the last second. This could've been a whole other story.
> 
> Thank you once again for reading! You're amazing♥


	7. I pull the strings, my little marionette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party celebrates Br'aad's birthday, while someone behind the scenes is starting to stir awake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo?

The explanation Br’aad had planned to give to ease the shock was blown away as soon as he had heard Taxi’s voice, resulting in the less than graceful delivery.  _ Why was I the one doing this again?  _ The flood of concern and distressed questions made Br’aad quickly backtrack, reassuring that Oriana was alive and recovering well (to his knowledge). The reason was no smaller bomb to drop, considering she had been stabbed. Understandably, Taxi immediately set out and begged for Br’aad to give him directions.

  
There was no way in hell that Br’aad would let Taxi take the blow by himself. That was how he and Sylnan sat alone in a secluded part of the entrance waiting room, having arrived first. Chairs were neatly arranged along the white walls, and the glossy floors reflected the fluorescent lights as well as the small blinking light of different machines. The contrast between the interior and the rest of the wharf was almost off-putting to see for the first time. It was certainly no place Br’aad afforded to visit- It almost felt like he was indebted by stepping into the building. Sylnan seemed to share his sentiment, pulling up his hood and sinking deeper into his chair as the occasional employee scurried by, it being unusually calm for the moment. It reminded Br’aad that everything up to this point had only been possible with Sylnan’s help, and this whole thing had become another weight on his brother’s shoulders. Even being there was to support Br’aad, who was supporting Taxi, a person Br'aad met because he wanted to prove that he could take care of himself. It was a mess.  _ Well, at least it will go back to normal before long now. _ Looking at Sylnan’s hunched together figure, shoulders constantly raised in alarm and bags under his eyes, Br’aad felt a pang in his chest. If comic relief did as much as help carry a fractions of the weight, then Br’aad wouldn’t want anything else. Remembering flashes of all years past, a few fragile smiles had been the highlight of his life. A welcome and all too short distraction from the hunger, bullying, and bruises that healed painfully slow. The figure of his brother was hauntingly similar to the malnourished and exhausted one that Br’aad had grown used to seeing as a child, even though it should have changed. They were away, it  _ should  _ be better now. Br’aad shook his head, not wanting to delve any deeper.

“They’re gone. Sylnan, I’m sorry to say, but I don’t think they can smell the crime off you,” Br’aad teased after the person had left.   
Sylnan smiled. “It’s for the best if they don’t see my face. You can’t be careful enough.”

That was what Br’aad expected of Sylnan, much more than the incident before. “Does that include talking about money laundering in the open?”   
“Hey, I never thought someone would talk about laundry in a endearing way unless it’s code for money laundering, and you’re close with him, so I assumed it was fine. Since when did you care about that? I remember not being able to tell you the heist plans until last minute or you’d gush about it to everyone who would listen.”

“Low blow! No one would listen anyways, so it went fine. Saxi isn’t just anybody, you know.”

That gained him a snort. “Yeah, you have to be one of a kind to put up with the infamous Vengolors.”

“Unmistakably my soulmate,” he agreed. Br’aad celebrated inwardly as he saw Sylnan relax his body with his laugh. The delight was short lasting as Sylnan tensed up again, entering a contemplative silence.

“...Why are you trying so hard to keep everything away from him, then? Avoiding our past, and even though you’ve known him for this long, you’ve never invited him home. Are you… ashamed?”   
Br’aad deflected the heavy question with a smile. “No,” he lied. “Not at all, I just didn’t think of it. Everything is so new! I might do it soon, when there’s a chance.”

“That’s- that’s good to hear. I actually invited Taxi to join us for dinner sometime, maybe this Friday, for example. If that’s fine by you.”   
His stomach churned. “Yeah, of course.” The conversation thinned out from there.  _ Friday?  _ They’d get a bit more time together.  _ Enough for a proper goodbye.  _

Speaking of, his friend could be seen closing in through the glass door. It was thrown open as Taxi rushed in, face red and hair ruffled from the wind. The bittersweet smile about to move his lips at seeing his friend, perhaps for the last time in a while, was pushed away. That would definitely be interpreted the wrong way. While extreme guilt coursed through his veins because of it, he could not push away the melancholia buried in his heart that Taxi had completed his task so quickly. What he had come here to do had been done, and so he would depart, happily reunited with his girlfriend, and leaving Br’aad to relish the memories of a bare week spent together.  _ How does it always end up like this?  _ No, it was fine.  _ At least Taxi will be happy. _ The package of the homemade necklace once again burned from the pocket he hadn’t bothered to move it from.

Happy was not the word Br'aad would use to describe the look on Taxi's face as he burst in, even if it flashed up in relief for a second at seeing Br'aad. Br'aad ran up to meet him and skipped any chit-chat to get his friend to the receptionist. Br'aad wasn't completely sure if any person should be able to visit, but Taxi explaining his relation to Oriana coupled with his distress landed them soft instructions and a room number. It was on another floor, so Taxi shot up the stairs and down the described corridor, still slowing down politely by other people. Before the door, Taxi paused, glancing at Br'aad for confirmation. 

A certain noise interrupted him. Any other sound would have been dismissed, the heavy priority being Taxi. The noise, however subtly it merged into the background, stood out like a sore thumb for Br'aad, slowing down the seconds painfully. The air squeezed from his lungs and the rising nausea was almost a trained response at this point. 

_ Ticking _ . 

"You go on ahead, I'll join you in a moment," Br'aad said, pretending to give Taxi some space. He didn't need any further encouragement, and entered the room, while Br'aad stepped back into a corner. 

The ticking grew in volume as the phone was pulled out if his pocket and no longer muffled, tainting the peaceful atmosphere of the hospital. Br'aad watched it blankly blankly for two more rings. The caller ID 'Asshole Player' drew forth a deeply rooted discontent. Finally, he clicked accept call, knowing by experience what happened if you ignored him. It had been quiet for a while.  _ Of course it couldn’t last. _

"Long time no see. Look, it isn’t the best time, I can call you back-"

“Indeed, it has been a while. It’s a pity I had to interrupt this moment you were trying to have with your  _ sweet _ little love, but please, have some patience,” the voice spoke, drawling out some words in his usual pompous way. Information that Br’aad had under no circumstance shared with this person.

“What- how did you know that?”

“My boy, I know of everything you do. That phone was a special gift from me, was it not?”

The implications fell into place, Br’aad’s eyes fluttering to the camera of the phone. “I’m hanging up.”

“I wouldn’t be so hasty if I were you. After all, there is information about your dearie one on the line. It would be a shame if I forgot it.” The smug smile could almost be heard through the words.  _ Fuck _ .   
“...What do I need to do this time?”

“I think I’d fancy a game, how about you?”

News flash: Br’aad fucking hates Ob’nockshai.

  
  


Before Br’aad had gathered himself enough to join Taxi, the door swung open, and his friend sulkily walked out of the room, clenching his fists. Newly gained information weighed on his mind, not being able to put together a good way to express them. He had to, though.

“She’s... She was asleep. It’s really silly- I always knew her work could hurt her, and this is still unbelievable.”

Br’aad leaned forward and hugged him. “It’s going to be okay now. She’s safe, and you can talk to her in the morning.”   
Hiding his face and crossing his arms, Taxi managed to look extremely conflicted and determined at the same time. “I’m not leaving until she wakes up. I should have been there for her, and I will now.”   
“Saxi, that’s a nice thought and all. Uh, have you considered not doing that? I completely understand your worry, but it’s 1 am and you’re wearing your pyjamas- super cute, by the way- Just, I think you want to have yourself together, and you don’t really have to have that right now.”

For a split second, agitation flew over Taxi’s face, then it disappeared with a sigh. “That makes sense.”   
“Good.” Br’aad shifted from a hug to holding Taxi’s hand. “Me and Sylnan can follow you home.”

  
The walk was a quick affair, consisting mostly of Br’aad pep talking Taxi for the next day. For being such an amazing person, he sure had low confidence in himself, possibly because of something Taxi mentioned about ‘not ending it on a good note’ last time he had seen Oriana. Br’aad gladly took on the duty of reminding Taxi of his good sides- which was practically  _ all _ sides, so it wasn’t that hard. After their goodbyes, Sylnan and Taxi exchanged a few more words, again away from Br’aad. It was probably Sylnan being his protective self, Br’aad just hoped he wasn’t giving Taxi too much of a hard time. On the off-chance that Taxi could absorb his energy through metamorphosis, Br’aad made sure to put as much spirit in his waving as was human possible all the way until the door was closed behind him. However slight the click of it was, it sent a flinch Br'aad's way. A cold barrier between them.  _ It's fine. It isn't goodbye yet. Not yet.  _ Gosh, if a fucking door made him tear up, what would the actual goodbye be like? No wonder he was a burden.  _ Or…  _ His fingers found the phone in his pocket, stroking over it absentmindedly. Satisfaction mixed with dismay.  _ I'll help any way I can.  _

Long ago, Br'aad had accepted that Sylnan would not agree on his methods, though. It would have to be kept secret- or, well, secret implied that it was something big enough to matter, something big enough to deserve that disappointed look on his brothers face that only had surfaced a couple times. Br'aad would keep it that way. It was nothing worth wasting time sharing, was all. Nothing worth wiping off the satisfaction that finally had decided to grow on Sylnan. Was it pride? Quite possibly, that would definitely not last as Br'aad would eventually have to break the news, 'breaking up' with Taxi. That… That was future Br'aad's problem. In the meanwhile, he wiped away the tears and pulled out his kazoo. He was intent on replicating the song from the movie he had watched. As usual, he didn't notice the threatening glances his brother sent on anyone that seemed about to disrupt his practice. 

After filling half his belly with cold food and spending the rest of the night, or rather morning, in a restlessness turned sleep at long last, Br'aad awoke much earlier than he wanted. There was a buzz coming from his pocket, Br’aad recognized in a half-dead state. It wasn't enough motivation for him to willingly abandon the nice dream he was having about-  _ buzz buzz _ . The memories fall beyond a border that he could easily see, and yet not quite put his finger on what was going through his head just a moment ago.  _ You win this one _ , he conceded to his sleep. Wincing at the bright screen, he checked where the notification was coming from, a.k.a. who he had to kill- Taxi's contact filled to the brim with the hearts lit up. 

'Waiting for you outside, love' 

'Are you on your way? You're a bit late.' 

'No rush of course!'

Oh. They were still going jogging? Liveclock's fur stood on end at the sudden squeal that escaped him. Br'aad attempted to pet him, successfully as long as you ignored the new scratch mark running over his thumb. The bastard always attacked him, and then had the gall to act all cute and innocent if Br'aad didn't continue to pet him. Right, he should answer. 

'Sorry, I slept through my alarm!!!! On my way now <3'

Then he threw on the outfit reserved for their jogs that had absolutely not been snatched off the discount shelves at the supermarket for the fair price of free, not at all. The endeavor of brushing his hair in time was abandoned, instead putting it up and again leaving it for a future Br'aad. Nothing could stop his dumb ass from  _ booking it  _ to meet his friend. 

Their route took on another variation as a much more reasonable Taxi explained how he indeed wanted to be collected when he went to meet Oriana, and so would like to stop by the place Br'aad had showed before to meditate. That was fine by him, and it was much easier to climb during the day, not to mention not having to lead someone who was blindfolded. At the top, Br'aad mimicked Taxi's meditative pose but quickly grew bored of the the silence.  _ Silence, disappointed silence, almost reverberating in its power of nothingness, tension boiling up inside until those words were spoken. "I can't even look at you right now."  _

No, Br'aad didn't do silence. It was soon filled by babbling of the neighbours living underneath, Br'aad's latest artistic inspiration, and the difference in taste between different Legos. Perhaps telling Taxi that his favorite Lego flavor was the strawberry one was the last straw to break his concentration. Oops. Looking at it from the bright side, it confirmed Taxi was energetic enough to start a wild debate on how 'you shouldn't eat Legos' and 'they would all taste the same anyways'. Haters were gonna hate. 

At last Taxi accepted Br'aad wasn't going to budge on his opinions, even if he agreed to keep his Lego snacking to a minimum- it was expensive, after all. That unfortunately also brought their little session to an end, leaving them to go separate ways. Br'aad had already decided he would wait to give the newly received information until after Taxi had gotten a chance to speak and solve things through on his own with Oriana. After all that had happened, Br'aad was feeling some kind of sympathetic nervousness tingling his nerves all the way home, curios of the reaction. All he could do was wait. 

And wait he did. When he got home, eyes drawn back to the phone every other second, hoping to see it lit up with a new message. He sure was taking his time with that visit, or at least with updating Br'aad. It  _ was _ understandable to put 'talking to long lost girlfriend' over 'messaging Mr. Clingy' on the priority list. Still, it worried Br'aad more as the day went. He almost messed up a simple pocket thieving job with Sylnan because of it. By evening, Br'aad decided to call. The call was declined, explained only by a short 'I can't take your call right now' text. Was Taxi mad at him? No, then he would have said it. Either way, they were having dinner together tomorrow, they could resolve it then. 

That brought up a whole new worry: Taxi was coming over to dinner, to his home. To the dirty, dusty abandoned warehouse with a crazy rat man living underneath. It wasn't a good first impression. Actually, it wasn't a good second or third impression either. What would he think of the empty spaces and makeshift furniture? Sylnan wasn't there to worry, having mumbled something about meeting up with someone for a trade, leaving Br'aad to fuss over the few parts that could be improved in one evening, which wasn't very much. It was a nice distraction from the still silent phone. 

The silence continued all the way to the next morning. Br’aad woke up alone, his brother nowhere in sight. That wasn’t any cause to worry, as it happened every once in a while, and a drawing on the ground conveyed the reason for it. When Sylnan had deemed Br’aad old enough to scamper around on his own, they worked out a system of codes that could be left for the other, and that no unwanted guest would understand. A simple flower was their code for Sylnan visiting their mother’s gravestone. In later years, Br’aad had opted to stay at home from the trip- It felt awkward to stand beside Sylnan mourning someone Br’aad had never known, and while he could grief the life lost, or the life they never had, that was about it.  _ If Sylnan went today, was it that time of the year? _ The anniversary, if you could call it that, of 21 years since Br’aad had been born and they had ended up at the orphanage.  _ That means that it’s my birthday today, too. Huh _ .

When the silence was broken by a  _ pling _ , the thought was thrown aside. Taxi reminded him not to sleep through his alarm again, and asked Br’aad to bring a normal change of clothes. Br’aad smiled. That was fine by him, it wasn’t like he ever left anything of worth at home where anyone could waltz in and take it, so he carried the other clothes in his bag. There would be time to ask about Oriana and everything else. Now it was time to go see his friend.

* * *

The wristwatch on Taxi's arm seemed to almost stay put, the hours left until twelve dragging on. Twelve, that was the time Sylnan had given him. Taxi would distract Br'aad while the rest of their friends would work on the surprise celebration, which would be done by twelve. A nervous butterfly fluttered over his chest, wondering how Br'aad would react. The distraction part, despite from the pressure of not giving away any hints, was easy, as they were dealing with Br'aad here. The person who could talk endlessly (and somehow keep Taxi's interest) without any encouragement necessary. 

For the beginning of the jog, Taxi was content to listen, but took over as soon as Br'aad mentioned Sylnan being away. Taxi was slightly surprised to be able to divert the subject away from his birthday so easily- except for a small 'Happy birthday!' as a greeting, which lit up Br'aad's face in the most precious smile for only a couple words, Taxi had not lingered on that subject at all. Maybe Br'aad had understood they were planning something? Hopefully not. 

The subject of diversion in question was his visit to Oriana. Hoping he did not bore his friend to death in the process, Taxi shortly explained what had happened. You couldn't exactly call it a Fairy Tale reunion. Standoffish was the best way to describe Oriana's attitude to seeing Taxi after all this time, and unless you counted the scolding and the vaguest explanation of what had happened that you could possibly come up with, Oriana hadn't said much at all. Leaving Taxi with a 'I have to process this'. That was… Fair enough. She hasn't been prepared to see Taxi, but he still felt a nagging emptiness that she wasn't happy to see him, to have him there at all. Those feelings was left out from his explanation to Br'aad. 

"She insisted that she'd be up and running again in no time, back to work. I guess this case must mean a lot to her," he finished with a forced laugh.  _ More than us?  _ Br'aad didn't join in on the laugh. His eyes was fixed at the ground, and when he looked up, it was with a wince. 

“Her injury wasn't because of her work,” Br’aad cut in. “This wasn’t her investigation.”

“What?”

“Sorry, okay, don’t ask me how I know, but here’s how it is-”

Taxi tried to rein in the thoughts, rein in the  _ rage _ at this unknown person. 

“So some bigoted asshole with a buzzcut is going around murdering people?”

“That’s a pretty good way to sum it up, yeah.”

Taxi clenched his fists. "That settles it, I'm not leaving. I was considering staying here a while anyways, but if this is happening… I'm not abandoning her alone on this." 

Br'aad stared at him with wide eyes, looking he didn't know what to believe. "You're… Staying?" 

"If Velrissa is okay with having me for a while longer." 

The biggest fucking smile spread on his face. "Otherwise, Sylnan and I have plenty of space at the ready! We could have a slumber party sometime." 

Taxi returned it. "I suppose we could." 

"That reminds me! If you don't mind changing over at my place I could show you the way there now." 

"No, not yet!" Taxi insisted at once, a little too passionately. "Uhm…. I had something I wanted to get at home first? We can get ready there, if we can stop by." 

Br'aad finger gunned him. "Great!" 

When they were home, Taxi picked out a fresh, slightly formal outfit and hogged the shower first, intending to draw it out as much as possible. Unfortunately, he remembered that limited hot water was a thing, and wasn't so cruel as to subject his guest to the hell that was cold water. He did take his time in front of the mirror, freshening himself up and subtly styling his hair before dressing himself. Walking out of the bathroom, he found Br'aad hunched over and frequently letting out a small 'ow'. 

"What are you doing, Br'aad?" 

Br'aad looked up with glistening eyes. A small, baby cactus was in his hand, that he petted gently.

"He deserves love too!" he squeaked wobbly. 

Taxi clutched his heart,  _ finally someone else like me.  _ "Hell yeah!" 

Taxi took over the duty of the plant, hereby dubbed Professor Hedgehoggers, while Br'aad showered. However, he soon noticed a new ticking fill the room. Looking around for this sudden new clock, he almost missed the phone vibrating on the counter. Br'aad phone.  _ Of course he'd pick that as his ring tone.  _

"Br'aad, someone is calling you!" No reply, so he knocked on the bathroom door. "Your phone is ringing!" 

The shouted reply was muffled through the door and water raining down. "Oh, could you take it for me?" 

Taxi would rather cuddle closer with Professor Hedgehoggers, to be honest. "Sure!" he found himself saying.

"Thanks!"

Aww, now he couldn't go and let him down. Face your fears, wasn't it? 

Once again, he hesitated, seeing the name of the one calling. Would he be intruding on something private by answering this? If so, Br'aad would probably not have told him to answer it. There was no time to ask again, unless he wanted to miss the call completely. Taxi pressed the green accept button, putting the phone against his ear.

"Br'aad's phone, Taxi speaking." He had to admit he was a little curious of this 'Idiot Player'.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, indeed. I would praise the work of chance for this opportunity if it was not for everything I have done to make this a possibility." The voice was a bit posh, and yet playful as it rambled on. 

"I'm sorry, who am I speaking with?" 

"There is no need for apologies. Though, I do fear I am a bit hurt by Br'aad's insistence not to introduce me. That is why I decided to take matters into my own hands. Who would think an opening would show itself so soon? I must admit, your quick connection to him threw me for a loop almost as much as the trust you put into his words. What a wondrous string of events. Myself, I never trust someone in debt.”

The man took his time with each word, giving them a bigger impact, and not once did Taxi consider cutting him off. Whatever this man's intention was confused Taxi, but the underlying feeling of authority kept him in place. 

"Debt?" Taxi echoed. Trying to understand was all he could do at the moment. 

"Yes, quite. Tell me, have you put any thought to his tattoos?" he asked, sounding so smug that Taxi wanted nothing more than wipe off his invisible smirk. 

"Aside from them looking wonderful on him, no. What's it to you?" 

"There's no need to be so defensive, my boy. As the designer, I'm glad to hear that." 

"... What?" Now Taxi was confused, having no idea who this person was. "You're his tattoo artist, then?" 

A soft laugh, almost condescending, echoed in his ear. "Much more than that, I'm afraid. Those tattoos do have a certain importance," the voice drawled out.  _ I see how it is.  _ It didn't feel right to continue talking, to continue listening to this behind Br'aad back. There was no guarantee that anything being said was true, and yet… 

"How so?"

"Let's just say Br'aad is under my wing. You can see them as a signature, of sorts. My signature ."

Wait… By that, he didn't mean-

"I wish you a good time with our oh so 'free' friend. Farewell." Click. Call ended. 

"What the fuck."

The only thing bringing Taxi out of his stupor was Br'aad, only dressed in a towel around his waist, kicking open the door. 

"Huzzah, I have arrived to take the call!" 

Taxi froze in a stupor of another sorts, taking in all the visible features. Then, realized what he was doing, and promptly looked away, feeling a flush come his way. 

"Oh, it's already over? Who was it?" he asked, waltzing comfortably up to the backpack he brought, and started putting on some clothes. 

"I'm sorry." 

"What?"

"I answered a call from someone named 'Idiot Player' on your phone. I'm sorry, I should have asked again." 

Br'aad visibly blanched. "How much do you know?" 

"Huh? Not a lot. Your toxic slash disapproving ex boyfriend was a tattoo artist, I guess." 

"My ex- Oh. " Br'aad broke out in a laugh. "That's fine. Perfect, actually. I'm not even gonna correct you, it's too funny, and will definitely irritate him, which is a win win." 

Taxi rubbed his own arm awkwardly. "I understand why you're sensitive about your tattoos now." 

Br'aad stopped. For a second Taxi thought he'd overstepped. "Yeah, you could say that…" he mumbled. 

Taxi smiled, now able to face the dressed Br'aad. "Then my gift will work better than I thought." 

"Your gift?" 

Taxi nodded, taking out the palette of paint from behind him. Walking by a arts and crafts store yesterday as Br'aad called him had resulted in some inspiration. "I was thinking I could paint over your tattoos. Specifically with this," he said, pointing at one of the colors. "Yellow, like sunflowers." 

A smile stretched his lips his voice suddenly croaking. "Yes please." 

Brushes and a glass of water were placed on the table, and they both sat down in front of each other. Br'aad had to once again pull of his shirt as Taxi began tracing over the purple tattoos with yellow from the hand, all the way up the arm, over the chest, and down the other arm in slow strokes. When it came closer to his neck, Br'aad scrunched his nose, resisting the ticklish urge to squirm away. 

"Almost done," Taxi told him. The only thing left was the cheek, and Taxu thought it was time for some creative liberty. Covering the mark, he drew a small sunflower to the best of his abilities. Br'aad was fiddling with Taxi's necklace as the last bits of brown was added to the flower core. 

"And… Done!" Leaning backwards, he admired his work. "I'll go get a mirror for you. Leave the shirt off for now, so the paint can dry." 

A minute later, Taxi returned, not having found a mirror, but realized he had a strange utensil called camera on his phone. It didn't hurt if that picture was added to the album he'd send Br' aad, too. Holding up the picture for Br'aad to see, there was a moment of silence. Then, as per Br'aad, Taxi was tackled to the floor in a hug. While Taxi did not complain over that, Br'aad snuggled his cheek against Taxi's neck, and smudged the paint. Honestly, that was perfect timing, since they were still a little too early to leave. In the time Taxi had washed away the sunflower as well as what of it that had been smeared on himself, and painted it back on, they were right on schedule.  _ Happy Birthday, Br'aad.  _

Practically skipping down the street, Br'aad lead the way. They passed through the district Velrissa's apartment was in, and roof that was so special to Br'aad. The streets and the architecture along it got gradually less maintained. Once, Taxi narrowly avoided tripping one of the many holes in the ground, distracted by a rat. It scurried close by, and returned through one of the broken window on a run down hotel. While Taxi didn't mean anything bad with it, pity churned as Br'aad continued past the last of the crumbling, roofless apartments. Where in the world could Br'aad be living? Oblivious, Br'aad ventured into what must have been more of an industrial district, considering the factories and large storage units. A couple of gas stations and bars were scattered through it, but no real housing was in sight. 

Apparently, that was not what he should have been looking out for, as they slowed down before a ramp to the second floor of a ragged factory. At this point, Br'aad was fluttering around and fiddling nervously. 

"Welcome? It's right this way," he said, starting to walk up the ramp. Taxi stopped him. 

"Thank you. Um, this might come out of nowhere, but could you close your eyes? I can lead you in." 

Br'aad looked at him with a snort. "I don't see why not." Taxi got up the ramp, hesitating for a second when he saw the old sign over the window, 'signed' by the brothers in what looked to be the creation of children. It frankly adorable. He opened the window and ushered Br'aad through it.

And was slapped in the face by the sight that greeted him. The living conditions in itself was close to non-existent, with several rats huddling in the corners, rusty screws pointing out of the wall, and a musky scent of molded wood. Taxi wasn't sure if that came from the empty, broken crates or the makeshift furniture. However, what hit him the hardest were the preparations around the room. The decoration consisted of some colorful pieces of paper taped to the walls, and a few ballons budget enough for half of them to have popped already. Velrissa, Mountain and Sylnan stood by the table, and in between them lied the cake that mountain had chipped in for and Sylnan had baked. Either Sylnan wasn't the most experienced baker of he had just had a really bad day, because it had somehow fallen in on itself, and was for the most part burnt. A messy '21' was written on top. The last touch to the atmosphere was the pop music coming from Velrissa's phone. All in all, they had clearly tried their hardest, but was truthfully pretty pitiful. 

"Can I look?" Br'aad's voice was colored by excitement, starting to understand something was going on. Shame filled Taxi- as much as he'd hate to disappoint his friend, it was too late to back out now. A strangled noise escaped his throat that could be either a yes or no. Br'aad chose to see it as the prior, and opened his eyes. 

He was greeted by their chorus of voices. "Happy Birthday!" Br'aad stared at them in shock. 

"Is this… for  _ me _ ?" 

Sylnan stepped forward. "Yep, surprise surprise, all for you. I haven't been able to do much in the past, but I couldn't pass up on a chance like this." 

Their smiles were wiped off as the gathering tears in Br'aad's eyes welled over, and he started sobbing. 

"Sorry buddy... I know it isn't much, and you deserve more, I-

"No, no, it isn't that. Shit, these are  _ happy _ tears." Br'aad dried them away. "I never thought I'd get to celebrate my birthday, much less with amazing people. You did  _ all of this _ for  _ me _ ? For  _ me?"  _

Mountain surprisingly stomped up and hugged him without saying a word. 

"Of course we do buddy. Brothers help brothers," Sylnan said, joining in. Chuckling, he waved for Velrissa and Taxi to come, too. Taxi did, being relieved he hadn't destroyed Br'aad's day. Though… He could read between the lines. Had Br'aad not celebrated his birthday before? Taxi hugged him a little tighter. 

Br’aad fluttered from place to place, adoring every little detail like it was gold. The only thing he stopped to do was introduce Taxi to his cat, Liveclock. Luring him forward with a treat, Br’aad then set down and him rest on his legs, wincing as claws pierced his skin.   
“So, as I said, this is my little bastard Liveclock.” To be honest, Taxi had to reel himself in to not go total freak out over the tiny little toe beans.   
“And why did you name him that?” he asked, slowly going closer as to not scare Liveclock away. Br’aad opened his mouth to answer, and was cut off by both the pling of Taxi’s clock signifying the mark of a full hour, as well as a loud meow.   
“That’s why,” Br’aad laughed. “I don’t know how he knows, but he meows every exact hour. Unfortunately, that includes the middle of the night, and he still insists on meowing as close to my face as he can.” 

“Good work, buddy,” Taxi teased, and let Liveclock sniff his hand before petting him. Br’aad began to warn Taxi about his cat’s unpredictable tempe, but trailed off as he saw how Liveclock peacefully leaned into the touch and purred. He turned down to the cat in betrayal.   
“Lay it to me straight, Liveclock. You hate me and are staying just to torture me, aren’t you?”   
Taxi knew it was a joke, but seeing the body language Liveclock displayed, he had to interject. “He clearly loves you a lot, though.”

“What? I mean, yeah, everybody loves me, but why do you say that?”

“Look at how he has his belly revealed to you, something they only do with people they can be vulnerable with and he’s kneading his paws lazily. Not to mention, can you see how he’s blinking slowly at him? That means affection and trust.” Taxi pointed at each thing while he talked.   
“Really?”   
“Yeah, it’s their body language. It’s good to know if you want good communication with your cat,” he said. Br’aad hesitated, then put a hand on either side of Taxi’s face and turned it to himself. For a second, he just stared. And then he blinked slowly.   
  
  
They were gathering up to sing for him when Taxi got the text. The chill he got when he saw Oriana’s name was definitely excitement, not anxiety. Today was Br’aad’s day, and Taxi didn’t want to steal that away from him, but…   
“Do we have space for one more person?”

Everyone encouraged his idea to bring Oriana, insisting that it was only the more the merrier. That helped subdue some of Taxi’s doubts, except for the fact that only Br’aad and Vel knew who Oriana was to him. His visit before had been to short to go into his and Br’aad’s, albeit fake, relationship. So he hadn’t. And now all he could do was hope for the best and that the subject wouldn’t come up. 

Taxi tried his best to not keep looking towards the window as he sang, expecting to see a flash of Oriana’s blonde hair at any time, even though it had only been a few minutes since he had sent the location to her. He caught Sylnan doing the same, a slightly more distasteful expression slipping forward when he did. It was better not to ask. Alas, the only blond hair in sight was Br’aad’s, as it bobbed from side to side, happily swinging to the ‘music’.  _ Wow, I must have a thing for blonds,  _ he joked to himself as he gave Br’aad a congratulating pat on the back. As soon as the thought had formed, he mentally backtracked.  _ Br’aad could be uncomfortable by thoughts like that _ .    
  
After a meow joined in on the last line, Br’aad jumped up and announced that there was someone he wanted to introduce. Luring a cat forward with a treat, Br’aad then sat down and let him rest on his legs, wincing as claws pierced his skin.   
“So, as I said, this is my little bastard Liveclock.” To be honest, Taxi had to reel himself in to not go total freak out over the tiny little toe beans.   
“And why did you name him that?” he asked, slowly going closer as to not scare Liveclock away. Br’aad opened his mouth to answer, and was cut off by both the pling of Taxi’s clock signifying the mark of a full hour, as well as a loud meow.   
“That’s why,” Br’aad laughed. “I don’t know how he knows, but he meows every exact hour. Unfortunately, that includes the middle of the night, and he still insists on meowing as close to my face as he can.” 

“Good work, buddy,” Taxi teased, and let Liveclock sniff his hand before petting him. Br’aad began to warn Taxi about his cat’s unpredictable tempe, but trailed off as he saw how Liveclock peacefully leaned into the touch and purred. He turned down to the cat in betrayal.   
“Lay it to me straight, Liveclock. You hate me and are staying just to torture me, aren’t you?”   
Taxi knew it was a joke, but seeing the body language Liveclock displayed, he had to interject. “He clearly loves you a lot, though.”

“What? I mean, yeah, everybody loves me, but why do you say that?”

“Look at how he has his belly revealed to you, something they only do with people they can be vulnerable with and he’s kneading his paws lazily. Not to mention, can you see how he’s blinking slowly at him? That means affection and trust.” Taxi pointed at each thing while he talked.   
“Really?”   
“Yeah, it’s their body language. It’s good to know if you want good communication with your cat,” he said. Br’aad hesitated, then put a hand on either side of Taxi’s face and turned it to himself. For a second, he just stared. And then he blinked slowly.   
  


The window suddenly shot open. Instead of the expected figure of Oriana, a red haired man stepped through. A black garbage bag was flung over his shoulder and he raised two bottles into the air.   
“And I’m clocking in to the party! There’s no need for applause, ladies and gents.”

Sylnan broke the silence. “You’re late.”   
“Nah, I’m fashionable,” the man responded with a grin.   
Br’aad walked closer. “Who is that?” 

Sylnan flinched. “It’s-”   
“A pal! We go way back, don’t we?” He put a arm around Sylnan’s shoulders.   
“...Yeah.”

“More importantly, I come bearing gifts.” He nodded towards the bottles and handed Sylnan the bag. Sylnan peeked inside it, and relaxed.   
“Great. Thank you for stopping by, I’ll see you around”   
“Hmm… Nah.”   
“Pardon?”   
“I’m not leaving yet, this seems fun. Were you in the middle of something?”

Br’aad was seemingly oblivious to his brother’s annoyance. “It’s my birthday! You’re obviously welcome to stay! We were about to cut up the cake, do you want a slice?”

“Hell yeah!”   
“Don’t forget to blow out the candles first!” Taxi reminded.

“Duh!”

The drowned-out cackling from below fell to the back of Taxi’s head in order to keep his smile after tasting the cake. Either Br’aad was a wonderful actor, or he truly believed that it was an improvement from something else, which was a cursed thought. Rather, you could think that, but the care that had been put into it was unmistakable, and somehow made the experience enjoyable anyways.    
  
That meant that the moment Taxi caught sight of Oriana hurrying up the stairs and brushing off some rats, the mouthful of cake almost got stuck in his throat. It worked out with only a couple of ungraceful coughs, at the cost of losing his dignity and drawing attention to them. Clearing his throat again to collect himself, Taxi then grabbed a serving of cake for Oriana, and approached.   
  


“Glad to see you. Er, welcome?” He said, giving over the paper plate. It was accepted with some skepticism.   
“And when were you going to tell me about the deranged man I had to pass to get here?”

Deranged man? Oh, that would explain the cackling.

“Sorry, I really wasn’t aware of that. I would have said something if I did!”

"It's fine, Green, I can handle myself.” Taxi breathed out. Her text, as far as he could tell, had been an olive branch for them to meet up over something casual. He didn’t know exactly how casual it would be, now that he knew her involvement in this place had not been over a case. Taxi would try.

Silence. Would it be weird to clear his throat again? “Okay, so these are my new friends, Br’aad, Velrissa, Mountain, and Sylnan,” he introduced each one of them with a nod, everyone acknowledging it with a nod or other gesture. At that point, the red haired man spoke up. 

"And I'm Redd, everyone's secret favorite."

Sylnan sighed and elbowed his friend apparently named Redd, who elbowed back and motioned a (hopefully) jokeful invitation to fight. Mountain chanted encouragement for that idea while Br'aad laughed and Velrissa stepped between them exasperatedly. The scene would have been funny for Taxi as well if he had come there alone, but as he slowly turned back to Oriana who had a eyebrow raised at the commotion, he felt a warm blossom of shame run up his neck and over his face. 

"Cake?" he offered, holding out the paper plate holding a slice. 

"Sure." Oriana looked at him expectantly before taking it, probably waiting for an explanation of the people behind him. Taxi didn't know how to explain it if he wanted to, which he did not.  _ For God's sake, I have been planning what to say over and over for hours in my head, and I lose it all when the opportunity comes.  _ First, Taxi was once gun going to use the cake to escape conversation, and then realized what he had done when Oriana's face scrunched up in distaste at the first bite. He'd almost forgotten. It didn't help that Oriana was not one to whine about such things, and so clearly forced the whole thing down without a word.  _ Am I supposed to comment on it, change the subject, or not say anything at all?  _ His savior came in the form of Velrissa, who easily initiated a polite conversation, letting Taxi slip away and collect himself. It was excusable, since Br'aad was about to get his present.

That's where the trash bag came in, apparently. Taxi was a bit irked, hoping that Br'aad didn't mind the unceremonious wrapper in favor of what he suspected the surprise to be. It sure didn’t seem that way when Sylnan passed it over, and Br’aad accepted it gingerly, astounded like he had just been handed the moon, and that was  _ before _ he had looked inside. He turned his eyes between everyone in the room and back so many times that Taxi was beginning to think he had physically bluescreened until he put his hand inside. Everyone else must have been in on it, judging by the palpable anticipation in the air. Br’aad’s first reaction was confusion as the object was revealed to be a box, and it only faded away once the lid was removed, and a pair of brand new pair of Heelys saw the light of day. Paillettes in a rainbow of colors covered the shoes, with the exception of small adornments of lightning bolts and stars. Taxi immediately knew Br’aad would love it.   
“Oh my god,  _ oh my god _ . Are you for real? Is  _ this _ for real? Is this what I think it is?”   
Sylnan laughed. “I had to do something to keep my skateboard to myself, didn’t I? Those are called H-”   
“Heelys!! I’ve wanted those since I was a kid, I can’t believe you remembered.”   
Sylnan gave Taxi a thumbs up behind Br'aad's back. “You know me; Impeccable memory.”   
Br'aad hugged the present tightly to his chests, jumping up and down. "Thank you so much!" 

"No problem bud, you deserve it. There's one more thing I think you'll like about, why don't you try them?" 

"You won't have to tell me twice!" 

The cherry on top of the perfect fit that this gift was (Frankly, it made Taxi wonder how Sylnan had gotten them) the little surprise lights in the heel that activated when it was rolling, as Br'aad noticed. This, Taxi could tell by the absolutely gleeful smile, had set the whole day to something Br'aad would never forget. Taxi also recognized this to be the perfect moment to immortalize. 

"Group up everyone, I'm taking a photo!" he announced. Br'aad put his arms around his friends and squshed them close. The animals' curiosity was piqued by the gathering, Liveclock clawed his way up Br'aad's back and settled on his shoulder while Sylnan called for Hilltree and Jak. 

"I can't leave out Chirp," Mountain said, and proceeded to pick up a roomba that Taxi had missed. Oriana walked to Taxi's side and waited for him to take the photo. He got ready to do so, then stopped at the sight of cake smeared across his cheek. 

"Wait, you've got something.." Taxi pointed at his own cheek in comparison. 

"Here?" Br'aad rubbed at his other cheek. 

Taxi snickered fondly. "Let me get that for you." 

Leaning in close, he disregarded Br'aad's warm breath smelling sweetly of strawberries and whipped cream, drawing forth an unconscious desire in Taxi to taste it himself. Yep, he totally didn't pay attention to that, just like he didn't notice how soft his cheeks were as Br'aad leaned in slightly towards Taxi's touch. Holding eye contact, he slowly wiped it off. 

The trance-like state was broken by Mountain's tease of 'get a room'. Taxi cleared his throat and backed away enough to get a full picture of them. 

"Alright, say cheese."  _ Click.  _

"If I didn't know better," Oriana began with a slight laugh, making Taxi flinch. He'd forgetting she had been standing there. "I'd think you two were dating." 

The phone slipped through his hands and dropped to the floor.  _ Fuck. _ Taxi had a choice to make here. Playing it off would be way easier, and he would find the time to explain the situation later. That would involve lying to her face about something he probably should already had told her. 

He turned to look at her. "Actually- Ah, ooh, this one's going to be hard to explain." 

"Green, tell me what the fuck is going on. I'm not stupid, I can tell somethings up." The piercing gaze from his girlfriend fixed Taxi's own to the floor.

"Green!" After motioning some explanatory gestures that he hoped Br'aad didn't see as pure gibberish, he had retreated to a corner with a concerned Oriana. Her emotion had disappeared as he took a vague first step of dropping the bomb on her, saying that through the eyes of everyone else in the room Taxi and Br'aad were in fact together. They had met up nearly every single day since soon after he came to Kingswharf, and Taxi had looked for her. 

"I was so worried-" he began. 

"So worried that you went on a date? That you  _ cheated _ on me? Thanks a lot, I can see how much I mean to you." Her voice was cold, covering up a deeper hurt. It pushed Taxi's nerves into overdrive.  _ I just had to phrase it like that, didn't I?  _ No, no matter the awkwardness, he had to reveal the deal, clean up all of the misconceptions and tie together the loose ends. It wouldn't feel fair to rat out Br'aad before he felt ready to tell his friends, though. 

"Fuck, sorry- Listen, I would never do that. That wasn't how it was at all, our relationship isn't rea-" 

"No, you know what? Good for you. Good for you that you for once can have a life on your own without depending on everyone else. Spare me the details, it doesn't matter. I don't need you." 

His apologies came to a halt as the sharp words shit right into his heart, leaving behind a terrified emptiness.  _ Is that what she really thinks?  _

"W-what do you mean by that?"

"It means what it means. I'm doing this alone, and you'll just get in the way. It means you can go fuck off."  _ She's breaking up with me, _ Taxi realized. 

The muted shock was eventually washed away by a boiling betrayal, hurt, _anger_ in him. If Oriana would actually listen, she would have heard that relationship was purely platonic, a few empty words to find her. Instead she had jumped right to name-calling, to attacking his weak spots. _Maybe she had been waiting for an opportunity_ _to say this._ It wasn't like she had any room to talk, having suddenly disappeared and then shamelessly lied about her reason for being there. There wouldn't have been any miscommunication if there had been any effort from her side whatsoever!

"F…" The sting in Taxi's eyes was shamefully pushed back, and his breath hitched the first time he tried to answer. He swallowed. "Fine! If that's what you want, I will go fuck off with someone who appreciated me from the start."

Taxi knew it was a bad thought, that he should push it away... Though, adrenaline pumping drove him to accept the idea forming in his head.  _ I want to show her that I can be someone without her. That I can be better.  _ In the end, he could choose to put the blame wherever he liked; The choice was ultimately his own. 

His eyes locked onto Br'aad's, which displayed confused albeit true concern. 

_ I hope he plays along _ . 

* * *

No matter how much Br'aad tried to distract himself with the shiny new shoes, they couldn't disperse the nasty feeling settling in his gut when Taxi's and Oriana's voices were getting raised. While it wasn't possible to make out any words, the tone was clear enough.  _ It's good for them to air everything out, at least. Rather sooner than later.  _

For Br'aad, it was merely a bit of temporary awkwardness in the scheme of things. What more prominently caught his attention was everyone else's reaction. Naturally, Mountain was plain confused, covering Jak's ears. For some reason, Velrissa refused to watch the exchange, wearing something akin of shame on her face. Br'aad could relate, feeling that he had caused the disagreement, or at least fanned the flames by his play. Sylnan, on the other hand, looked dangerously close to snapping at the both of them. Without asking, Br'aad knew that it was on his behalf. Tension rose in the room, as all they could do was wait until the argument had calmed down. 

As Sylnan's patience seemed to be getting closer to the breaking point, Taxi finally caught Br'aad's looks. The screaming had not seemed to be resolving itself, but Taxi still left Oriana in the corner to approach Br'aad. Frankly, he didn't look like the most emotionally stable version of himself. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to destroy this for you." Taxi said, with Br'aad's immiminent reaction of shaking his head. 

"You made my day." 

Not even in the current circumstances could Br'aad suppress the initial spur of joy coming from Taxi placing a gentle hand on Br'aad's shoulder. Feelings in general, romantically or not, was not something that disappeared in a couple of days time as long as he wanted them to. However, the least Br'aad could do was make sure they didn't bother Taxi and add one more thing to his list of burdens. It was hard, and it sucked, but he could proudly say he was moving on. 

Then Taxi stepped closer until their bodies rested on one another's, and he put his arms around Br'aad's waist. A hopeful smile broke out on his face.  _ Is Taxi. _ .? It was quite impossible for the social cues to be taken any other way. 

The low voice could have been taken for seduction if it wasn't for the redness of Taxi's cheeks. "May I..?"

_ This day better not be a dream.  _ He nodded. 

The distance was closed between them until their lips met.

It was then that Br'aad realized that he had, in fact, not moved on as much as he'd hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...
> 
> Wow, it's been a while!
> 
> Thank you all for the amazing support! Obviously, this chapter was a little hard to get out, but I definetely feel inspired to continue. Though, some chapters might take more time than others, like this one. I hope you enjoyed anyways!
> 
> Oh, and if you you didn't read the tags, this story may contain spoilers for both arcs!
> 
> (I'm sure I missed a lot of spelling/grammar this time, so I'll come back later and proof read it. I didn't want to wait any longer to update than necessary)


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